• theatre
  • features
  • faqs
  • contact
  • theatre
  • features
  • faqs
  • contact
  Art Murmurs - Wellington Reviews

Reviews

Josh Davies, Look! I’m Blind

7/3/2019

Comments

 

Kate Norquay

Picture
Josh Davies grew up with no sight in his left eye and only 15 percent vision in his right eye. Now he’s making comedy about it. Josh Davies, Look! I’m Blind is a stand up comedy show about the awkward, frustrating and confusing aspects of being blind, most of which are caused not by the blindness itself, but by everyone else's reaction to it. ​
The show is the sweet spot in comedy that makes you laugh (and laugh a lot), while also making you think. If you like snarky, self-deprecating humour, paired with calls for accessibility (and who doesn’t?), Look! I’m Blind will be right up your alley.

The show’s  essence is a series of jokes about being blind. Its aim is to give audiences insight into what it’s like to grow up with a disability, and it achieves this in spades. Josh talks about his experiences growing up in Levin, being bullied about his glasses, and other kids ‘testing’ his blindness by pulling the finger and asking ‘how many fingers am I holding up?’ He takes us through his experience looking for work, and his struggles with WINZ. Josh has to bring a medical certificate in every 3 months to prove that he’s still blind. Even though we’re laughing alongside him, Josh makes a serious point. How broken is our benefit system? WINZ, what is going on???

Look! I’m Blind is still in development, as Josh finds his footing with Wellington audiences. Josh mentions that he is recording this performance, and every time the audience reacts with a lukewarm chuckle, he comments ‘ok that’s cut’ so he can listen back and perfect his show for the next crowd. This could have come off as unprofessional, but Josh has such a repertoire with the crowd that it integrates seamlessly with the show. These moments actually show how sensitive Josh is to his audience’s reactions, and how unfazed he is by his stumbles. He banters effortlessly with the audience, commenting things like ‘Oh, that joke kills in Auckland!’, or ‘Yeah, I hate that joke, like that you guys did too.’  I loved getting the chance to see a little into a comedian’s process and give him a chance to develop. This is what the Fringe Festival is about.
​

Josh Davies, Look! I’m Blind is well worth your time. Josh Davies is a talented comedian, and one to watch. Josh said early in the show that he tells jokes about being blind because ‘that’s all he’s got’, but it was clear to everyone in the audience that this is just the beginning. With his imagination and ability to read the audience, Josh has got a great career ahead of him.   

​Josh Davies, Look! I’m Blind is currently showing at the Cavern Club until Saturday 9th March. It is part of the Wellington NZ Fringe Arts Festival. To book tickets, visit EventFinda. To find out more about the Fringe Festival, visit their website.

Comments

    Local Honest Reviews

    At Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    All Age Appropriate
    Art
    BATS
    Beauty Standards
    Black Comedy
    Body Positive
    Circa
    Circus
    Comedy
    Comedy Festival 2018
    Comedy Festival 2019
    Comedy Gala 2022
    Community Theatre
    Dance
    Devised
    Documentary
    Drag
    Drama
    Emerging Artist
    Exhibition
    Experimental
    Female Artists
    Feminism
    Feminist
    Festival
    For Kids
    Fringe
    Fun
    Gallery
    Gryphon Theatre
    Hannah Playhouse
    Heart + Music
    History
    Improv
    Interactive
    International
    Interview
    Ivy
    Lighting
    Local
    Mental Health
    Monologue
    Music
    Musical
    New Writing
    New Zealand
    NZ Comedy
    NZ Fringe
    NZIF
    On Tour
    Performance Poetry
    Photography
    Photospace Gallery
    Physical Theatre
    Political
    Politics
    Premiere
    Pyramid Club
    Queer
    Race
    Roxy LIVE
    Science
    Scruffy Bunny Improv Theatre
    Sexual Violence
    Shakespeare
    Site Specific
    Site-specific
    Sketch
    Solo Show
    Song
    Spoken Word
    Stagecraft
    Storytelling
    Tahi Festival
    Te Auaha
    Theatre
    Thought Provoking
    Thought-provoking
    Thriller
    Toi Poneke Gallery
    Verbatim
    Victoria University
    Violence
    Virtual Theatre
    Weekly
    Wellington
    Wellington Footlights
    Wellington Repertory