Boss Octopus

Monty Python’s Flying Circus eat your heart out, there’s a new boss in town, Boss Octopus, that is!

Promoted as an evening of fighting for survival in a zombie apocalypse, the famed scientist, Boss Octopus, gives humanity the upper hand by bringing dinosaurs back to life … upon attendance it is clear this show has absolutely nothing to do with any of the aforementioned, instead, audience members are captivated by 60 minutes of fast-paced, surreal and modern sketch comedy. Hosted by the eccentric venue, The Butterfly Club, its overwhelmingly decorated walls full of kitsch knick-knacks sets the mood with audience members being sucked into the fun right from the moment of arrival.

Boss Octopus: A Sketch Comedy contains a series of refreshingly new and unique vignettes and comical scenes. Premiering at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2013, the original comedy troupe of Boss Octopus formed at the University of Melbourne’s annual Medical Comedy revue, self-proclaiming ‘we come from the burgeoning underground sketch scene’. Will Burrage, Yianni Efstathiadis, Brit Green and Sam Hawthorne take inspiration from the likes of Australian sketch comedy greats, Full Frontal and Mitchell & Webb. Collectively, they are confident, perfectly timed and command stage presence throughout. 

Each scene is performed with energy, enthusiasm and outstanding commitment to a diverse assortment of quirky characters. One moment we are introduced to the traditional nonna who reveals the ‘secret’ to her sauce, to the next, where a child is belting out a dedicated love ballad to her petite dad. The actors are to be commended for their effectiveness and ability to transform time and space on a bare stage with minimalistic use of set and props. The audience are mystified by the use of ‘Daddy Magic’ as well as taken on an elaborate tour of one’s ‘Mind Palace’. Short, sharp and quick scenes kept the audience entertained and engaged. The experimentation in the use of the ‘cake drums/saxamadog’ and a catchy song dedicated to Baklava will leave you hungry and singing the whole way home. 

The talented and comedic team behind Boss Octopus: A Sketch Comedy is to be praised for breathing fresh life into Australian sketch comedy and producing such high-quality theatre. 

In order to make an octopus laugh hysterically, it may take ten-tickles, however, all you’ll need for night of hilarity is Boss Octopus: A Sketch Comedy. 

Boss Octopus: A Sketch Comedy
Performed at Melbourne Fringe Festival
melbournefringe.com.au/event/boss-octopus-sketch-comedy