Comedy review: Steph Broadbridge, Best Dog Joke Ever!
★★★½
Steph Broadbridge channels a true-crime investigation to unpack the cause of her digital death, blending effortless wit with sharp punchlines.
Source: Steph Broadbridge live at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon it – the viral video of Steph that sparked a deluge of hateful comments and relentless trolling. I hadn’t seen the video before I saw Steph live, in fact I knew nothing about it… (it must be my inability as a millennial to stay up to date with the fast-paced trend-changing landscape of TikToks and YouTubes and Instagrams, gosh, I’m really sounding like a Boomer now). Anyway, this video has been viewed over 100 million times and caused her to become a victim of cancel culture.
I won’t go into details about the video’s contents, after all, it doesn’t matter if you’re familiar with it or not; rather Steph’s show invites audiences into a compelling narrative that resonates with the complexities of modern online culture.
For 60-minutes she recounts what happened in the aftermath of the viral video and what it was like to be the target of misogynistic trolling. The audience is taken on a whodunnit journey to decipher what and who caused her digital murder. There’s even a custom-made detective pinboard, slightly reminiscent of Charlie’s crazed bulletin board from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Steph incorporates light crowd work into her investigation, engaging the audience in cracking the case while adding a whimsical touch with her ukulele – a delightful and absurd highlight of the show, complemented by her impressive vocal talent. While her performance may not resonate with everyone, particularly conservative males, women are likely to find a connection, whether through personal experiences of online harassment or discrimination.
Steph is determined to reshape her past experiences to expose the nuances of our hyper sexist internet culture. Her authenticity and originality shine through, making for an intellectually stimulating and deeply engaging performance.
Steph Broadbridge is performing live at Storyville Melbourne for the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, from 27th March to 7th of April.
For more details and tickets, click here