We all had to make some less-than-ideal adjustments thanks to the pandemic, but for comedian Marcus Ryan, that meant moving back in with his parents at the age of 40 and becoming a chauffeur to (usually) drunk and (sometimes) unruly passengers. He hit rock bottom, and annoyingly enough, that purportedly temporary pivot to being a DD ended up more financially fruitful than his two-decade-long career as a comedian. Regardless, he decided to give it another go and he’s back on stage with Chauffeur So Good, a set lovingly named after his business.
To kick things off, Ryan briefly takes on the persona of a bus driver he had yonks ago – pedo ‘stache, short shorts and headset to boot. It’s an effective piece of character study, especially considering Ryan is about to regale you with how his life turned upside down and he wound up behind the wheel of the VIP Van.
If Ryan has ever chauffeured you for a winery tour, buck’s or hen’s party, or an out-of-town gig, this show might be the stuff of nightmares. He’s ready to spill all the saucy tales of his ex-passengers (which include Collingwood Football Club star Mason Cox and ex-Essendon Football Club player David Zaharakis) to great comedic effect.
But before he gets into those eyebrow-raising anecdotes (including how was once tipped with pricey illicit substances), he goes through other material. A few bits are overworked or overly drawn out, including a tale about how he became the face of a hair-loss cream advert. While initially funny, he builds on it just a few too many times and those moments during the set could probably be put to better use. Ryan also loses the audience at the end with a few admittedly unnecessary jokes about social housing and the Nazi Party – risky material that didn’t reap enough reward to be worthwhile, in this reviewer’s opinion.
Outside of those qualms, it’s an admirable return to the stage – and a smart marketing strategy for Ryan’s burgeoning chauffeuring business (at the risk of being used in his material next year). Ticketholders receive a 10 per cent discount on their next booking with Chauffer So Good.
Marcus Ryan’s Chauffeur So Good is on at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow from April 10-23. Tickets start at $15 and are available through the MICF website.