Sam About Town spent a leisurely lunch and a wander around Central Markets, with comedian Justin Matson.
Justin is a stand up comedian from the US and is making his International Fringe debut here in Adelaide. Inspired by comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen Degeneres, Sarah Silverman and Rita Rudner, he has been writing jokes, creating videos and generally being funny for many years, with this activity morphing into stand up routines over the last 8 years. This tour has given him the opportunity to develop and evolve his material, which he will be touring to the Edinburgh and San Francisco festivals.
Being an American has had its challenges with an Australian audience and so the 20 shows he is performing has offered opportunities to explore cultural differences and to adjust material to suit the audience. Some references are easier to anticipate than others, such as car trunk / boot, but who knew that the Craigslist connotation meant something slightly different here!
Justin has immersed himself in the South Australian scene since arriving a month ago, with trips to Kangaroo Island, the Barossa and McLaren Vale wine districts, Victor Harbor, Glenelg, Pt Noarlunga, Piccadilly Cinema and Hahndorf and also performing in a couple of outer metropolitan areas. He has managed to explore the city of Adelaide as well and has enjoyed and supported other artist’s shows, Fringe highlights such as the Parade of Lights and trying local cuisine.
Justin at the Central Markets bravely trying kangaroo for the first time with locally produced mettwurst from The Mettwurst Shop and admiring the murals.
Justin’s sense of humour made for a fun afternoon and he regaled me with stories such as his slightly surreal visit to The Cube at d’Arenberg winery and the dubious honour of being able to climb the world’s largest rocking horse!
That dedication to getting to know a place is reflected in his work. He is a thinker who enjoys analysing his craft as well as taking inspiration from many sources, to try new ideas or develop his existing work further. He has challenged himself with this show, by including more storytelling and experimenting with pacing, timing and variety of pitch. He also counts the food at Gluttony as one of his highlights, so along with Justin’s show, that seems like a good double reason to head into town before the Fringe finishes.
Justin’s Adelaide Fringe show is described as “Adorably awkward with a twist of gay, Justin Matson is Fatter Than You Think. Named “NYC’s Funniest New Comedian” by Broadway Comedy Club, Matson makes his International Fringe debut bringing Adelaide a brand new stand-up special about his journey and struggle with body image. It’s real, raw, and gayer than a small side salad.”
Justin is performing at The Basement and tickets are available here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/justin-matson-fatter-than-you-think-af2018
