COMICUS ERECTUS

Life has certainly evolved for George Kapiniaris, best known for his days of playing Memo in the wildly popular early nineties sitcom Acropolis Now. Since then Kapiniaris has performed in a diverse range of acting roles including The Flying Doctors and Underbelly. “You have to keep people guessing,” he explains.

His latest stage show is billed as two hours of jam-packed laughs featuring a stellar cast of ethnic comedians. Kapiniaris shares the stage with three big names: Tahir, Joe Avati and Basile. “It was originally going to be called The Ethnic Evolution. We want to break the mould.” That mould had Australians laughing along with characters from hit shows such as Wog Boy and Fat Pizza, and quoting “chicky babe” along with Memo. Kapiniaris explains that times have changed. “We aren’t just talking about Monaros and fluffy dice anymore.”

Each of the comedians in Comicus Erectus could fill a theatre in their own right, and Kapiniaris says they have a great camaraderie working together. “We all have different styles. Tahir is probably the most unwoggy wog in the business, Basile is very Las Vegas, Joe is a very successful stand-up comic in the style of Seinfeld and I cover the Robin Williams ballpark.” So what can audiences expect from Comicus Erectus? “Sore tummies,” laughs Kapiniaris. “It’s value for money. Everyone is a sure-fire winner.”

Until Aug 26, various locations, $43.50, comicuserectus.com