In the space of only a few years, true-crime has evolved from a fringe interest into a juggernaut genre, with everything from YouTube channels to blockbuster movies keeping the masses supplied with a steady stream of criminal infamy and hard-won justice.
The unstoppable appeal of true-crime has, at least in part, been driven by morbid curiosity; it’s a green light to rubberneck on some seriously disturbing behaviours. But its popularity is also powered by that enduringly reliable fact: that truth is stranger than fiction.
This is something author and comedian Paul F Verhoeven, and his father John, can certainly relate to. As a kid during the ‘80s, Paul grew up hearing stories about his dad’s scrapes and japes with various criminal types as a cop in Sydney.
Thirty years on and Paul has not only turned his dad’s wild experiences policing Sydney’s streets into a best selling book, Loose Units, he's also turned it into one of Australia’s most listened to podcasts, masterfully fusing shocking true-crime tales with wincingly on-the-nose humour.
Now, both Paul and his dad are following in the footsteps of many hit podcasts by delivering a live recording in front of an audience. Hot on the heels of the success of Loose Units’ live debut in Melbourne, Sydney fans have their chance to see the Verhoevens in the flesh, at the Giant Dwarf Theatre on October 11.
There will be never-before-heard cases, stories too dark for print publication, and an audience Q&A, but with adult themes, very coarse language, and a promise that proceedings are likely to get “seriously loose”, this is a night out for adults only.