DeAnne Smith: Livin’ The Sweet Life

It’s taken Montréaler DeAnne Smith only a few years to achieve what many circuit veterans never come close to. With her trusty ukulele and sweetened yet ribald observations on sex and life, she struck gold at the Sydney Comedy Festival, prompting nominations in the Canadian Comedy Awards and for the Barry Award at last year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival. She’s definitely livin’ the sweet life.

The cropped fringe and teenage indie get-up remain, and a lot of the jokes about being a nerdy lover or finding scrabble and grammar erotic are repackaged from last year’s show. But it’s still an adorably composed and disarming show, which Smith exploits with characteristic flair and finesse. Her impish persona is not to overshadow many near the knuckle stories and songs; instead it qualifies them and allows her to get away with even more. ‘Why is this thirteen year old boy asking these people about oral sex?’ she asks ironically. Though she may play the angel, there’s a devilish levity at the root of all DeAnne Smith says.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, run now ended.