Ahoy, sailor! Have you dallied with the idea of going on a cruise? A gay cruise? Do you want to learn more about gay culture? Or perhaps you just want to drink up all the sordid details about what happens when a ship-load of homosexuals sets sail? Whatever your motivations, Sydney comedian AJ Lamarque is here to spill all the tea with the return of his Sydney Comedy Festival hit – A Beginner’s Guide to Gay Cruising – for an east coast tour this November.
Floating seamlessly between coy observational comedy, cheeky asides, and interesting takeaways about intergenerational queer relations – Lamarque harnesses the thrills and spills of what really went down during his gay cruise experience (along with some unlikely moments of on-board boredom) to reel in his audience. It’s his casual charm and natural talent for storytelling that keeps us on the line; whether you’re a fellow gay bloke, a curious ally, or a random boyfriend who’s been dragged along by the missus – he’ll have you hook, line, and sinker.
Between performing and producing, this British expat is probably one of the hardest working people in the local stand-up scene – and there’s a deceptively simple recipe at play behind this colourful tale of the high (camp) seas.
Anyone who has been following Lamarque’s comedy career will pick up on how much his style has evolved over the years. Gay Cruising is lightyears away from his debut one-man-show in 2022, English Breakfast – in which he engaged radio-play-style audio segments (reminiscent of his work on podcast sensation Dungeons and Drag Queers) as he candidly spilled the tea on musings about his Mixed-Race heritage, and various cases of mistaken identity.
While Gay Cruising implements fewer bells and whistles than Lamarque’s previous offerings, there is a newfound sense of refinement to his craft here – and it delightfully collides with an unadulterated sense of fun. This show is shamelessly silly and gregariously gay. Do yourself a favour and get swept up for the ride, this hour-long experience is the best escape you can ask for (aside from going on an actual holiday). Don’t bring your mother – but your daddy might be into it.
After kicking off in Brisbane, the east coast tour of A Beginner’s Guide to Gay Cruising is coming ashore at Melbourne’s Comedy Republic on Saturday, Nov 19 (get tickets over here) and Ginger’s at Oxford Hotel in Sydney on Friday, Nov 22 (get tickets over here).
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