If you think ‘professor’ as comedian Jordan Barr takes the stage in a tweed blazer and oversized reading glasses, you’re not mistaken: in this show, you’re going to get schooled. Armed with a Gen Z-style PowerPoint presentation littered with pastels and clip art stickers, Barr treats it like a marathon with a rapid-fire history lesson from 2012 to the present.
As she talks through events like the signing of the Paris Agreement and the Malaysian Airlines tragedy, it becomes clear that these are simply blips on her radar. To Barr, the true cultural events of note are the major plot points of the reality TV show Sister Wives. And if you haven’t seen it before, don’t worry: the level of detail (and Barr’s recollection) is unhinged to the point of being admirable.
The show feels like a TikTok fever dream in the best way. Allow Barr and her cheery demeanour to serve as your spiritual guide on everything from analogies relating the Minogue sisters to our vaccine options (Kylie is Pfizer, obviously), cancel culture and how penguins procreate. Barr does warn you that “things will take a turn at some point,” but even that doesn’t prepare you for the wonderful strangeness to come.
It’s not all just wackiness, though; Barr's cheeriness skillfully disguises societal critiques and her deeply rooted fears related to the future. It’ll turn gears in your head, and you’ll leave bemused, confused and in awe of Barr.
Want to know which shows have us LOLing in the aisles this year? Check out our guide to Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022.