BEN ELTON

Ben Elton is a National Treasure...someone some of us don't even realise is a National Treasure. He has lived here in WA for most of his adult life, and a naturalised Australian for 20 years.

He sometimes doesn't land well, but for me, The Young Ones, will make him one of my heroes regardless of the misses. 

And then you add Blackadder and Upstart Crow. We Will Rock You.

All perfection!

We got tickets to see him live here in Newcastle back in 2019, we were meant to see him in April last year but COVID got in the way.

Talk about a lead up.

Last week, I started to listen to his latest novel, Identity Crisis, on talking book, as read by the author himself. It is a busy novel with multiple storylines and a lot of characters. 

It showcases a lot of current issues, mostly surrounding identity, The Internet, and political correctness. The stories work on both sides and initially I was unsure what to think, it confused me, it seemed like Elton was maybe taking the piss on gender and similar issues. This didn't sit comfortably with me. 

However, it was interesting and challenging in subject matter and I was curious to know where it heads, so am continuing.

So this made me a little concerned about what to expect in this performance.

I should have known better.

Within the first 10 minutes he addressed these issues, he was/is a radical thinker. He totally gets and understands all the issues he is discussing, but he is still at times confused by them and feels a little left behind, and he wants to explain why and thinks a lot of us feel similarly. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The crowd were mostly 50-70 year olds, which makes sense. I am always fascinated by who turns up to events, I love a good people watch.

We had excellent seats, and after a funny, self-deprecating voice over, out he came to thunderous applause. The first half was about 90 minutes, the second about an hour. This is a LOT!!! 

And he still talks super fast, moving around the stage in a jaunty, dancey way that only a 61 year old male like him can.

The show was about Identity, ageing, and The Internet, and everything in between.

It was fast, it was clever, it was intelligent, it was thoughtful, it was fucking funny.

I won't even try to emulate his jokes, it is impossible.

I loved his empathetic take on menopause, noting that whilst men really have no idea but they suffer too, eg being stuck in bed with someone who is running hot and cold all night and the doona on and off and on and off.

His long shtick about nursing homes and different generations and how they would be, especially future generations.

I cracked up at his take on hip hop music, and his son blue toothing his radio to hip hop music from the back at the car in what he initially thought was some kind of Harry Potteresque stunt.

This only tips the iceberg.

He delves into politics, gender, identity, cancel culture, and he walks a fine line perfectly. He does get all the issues and is quite 'woke' but also divulges he still feels like all these things are coming fast and thick and they are complex and makes him think. And he often feels uncomfortable about not being up with it all, but he's trying. 

His thoughts and insights are as edgy as he ever was, despite his 61 white cis middle age maleness. If only more (or all!?!) males that age and older were like that, we would have a hell of a lot less issues.

The time went too quick, I could have sat there for hours and loved that he seemed to be really enjoying himself.

It is always lovely to visit the Civic Theatre, but it is also superb to sit there and laugh for a few hours.

And it is great to see a hero, at 61, still at the top of his game.