Lucille MacKellar thrills in hilariously unhinged Sydney Fringe show

This post also appeared on Star Observer.

It’s a little hard to briefly describe exactly what Lucille MacKellar Has Boy Problems is – part stand-up show and part Ted talk with accompanying slides, it starts off as a terrifically told story of coming out and ends as a damnation of our attention spans being monopolised by algorithms for profit. 

And yet it’s a testament to Lucille’s comedic and storytelling abilities that these two seemingly disconnected topics flow seamlessly into one another across the course of this seriously funny show, playing now at the Sydney Fringe Festival.

The appeal of Lucille MacKeller Has Boy Problems lies in how it gradually unfolds into chaotic hilarity as Lucille commands stellar control over the material and crowd the whole time. 

The tale Lucille begins the show with hilariously recalls the story of her gay awakening in 2020, when she realised that her ideal man was actually a masc lesbian. 

Though this fact initially fills her with joy, one Charli XCX concert changes everything… and sparks a deep dive investigation into the social capital of the queer community, ChatGPT’s poor suggestions for lesbian nightlife and the enduring relevance of Gone Girl in the 2020s. 

If it sounds like a lot of topics for a 50-minute show to balance, that’s because it absolutely is – yet each point flows into one another completely seamlessly, all while provoking consistent laughs from the audience. 

The mix of visuals from the accompanying slides, the comedienne’s electric sense of humour and some expertly deployed needle drops and lighting changes (courtesy of Lucille’s collab with director Ari Angkasa). The show runs at a mile a minute and the laughs come just as quick, each new joke and topic seamlessly cohering in this highly charming hour of independent comedy. 

Come for the dissection of men as a subspecies, and stay for the unhinged, hilarious rants about the state of the world! Just don’t be surprised when you feel like you could listen to Lucille tackle just about any topic by the end of the show. 

Playing at the Sydney Fringe Festival until Saturday September 14. Tickets start at $10.