DeAnne Smith

Review: Canada's DeAnne Smith was the Best Newcomer at the inaugural Time Out Sydney Comedy Awards, so it's particularly gratifying to report that Ballsy contains everything that we loved about her two years ago - the wit, the language, the out-of-nowhere sideswipe punchlines - and adds plenty of new elements. Like, for example, ukelele numbers (which are very fresh indeed: this show was only the second time she'd performed her ‘No Worries' song), a touch more personal material and noticably greater self-confidence on stage, which manifested itself in an impressively tenacious refusal to, for example, accept an audience member's decision to move to the back of the room. She's also gotten a good deal more filthy, which works beautifully given the contrast with her adorably perky on-stage persona (the audience were particularly enamoured of her piece on the similarities between lesbian sex and cricket: "You just need to stay at the crease"). Throw in her hilariously incongruous attempt at a mainstream-comedy catchphrase and an extended riff on new racist stereotypes and you have a show that demonstrates that Smith's days as a cult dyke comic are numbered: this gal's ready for the big leagues. Andrew P Street