As a self-proclaimed pioneer of post-racial comedy, Anthony Locascio gave an entertaining performance of his much-travelled and well-received show, Pappou, at Melbourne’s Greek Centre.
Greek for grandfather, Pappou centres on Locascio’s own grandfather with stories about him and his extended family forming the backbone of the show.
Thematically rich, this allowed Locascio to roam across a range of different topics such as masculinity, ethnicity, sexuality and what being a wog means in the twenty-first century.
Locascio deftly mined his Greek-Italian upbringing and heritage with the style of the show reflective of much contemporary standup as it was mainly narrative and character driven albeit not without its fair share of jokes and punchlines.
Mostly family-friendly, there was the occasional crass humour, along with the obligatory interaction with the audience which was done in a good-natured manner. The writing was clever without being pretentious, simple yet revealing.
No stranger to the comedy stage, with national tours of a couple of different shows in the last few years, Locascio had a winning way about him.
He was articulate, reflective and self-deprecating and his natural casual easygoing banter charmed the audience who were attentive throughout the evening.
His observations of life as a Greek-Italian, and especially of his relationship with his grandfather, were insightful and humourous. What added depth and complexity to the evening were moments when he appeared genuinely vulnerable, with feelings exposed as he spoke of his ailing grandfather’s health issues and the feelings these triggered in him. To his credit as a performer, he skillfully managed such tender moments, bringing the audience along with him but always circling back to stand up comedy with a wry observation or amusing story never too far away.
Pappou has proved itself as a crowd-pleaser and Locascio’s confident assured performance showcased exactly why it is.
Definitely someone to watch out for if you are looking for an entertaining yet thought-provoking evening of comedy.
Venue: Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
For further information about the show: https://www.greekcommunity.com.au/events/anthony-locascio-pappou

• Review by Peter Murphy