Resisting the temptation to descend into laughter when you’ve copped a case of the giggles in an unfortunate situation is agonising.
Seriously, remember being berated by your Year 9 maths teacher for being an “inconsiderate noisemaker” after yapping on about a Vine video you saw in class, only to lose it all after 5 minutes of soul searching reflection?
Amazon Prime Video‘s edgy and vibrant new comedy experiment LOL: Last One Laughing Australia takes this level of discomfort to the nth degree – here’s a rundown of the first ep:
You’ve got ten of Australia’s all-time funniest people – Frank Woodley, Sam Simmons, Susie Youssef, Joel Creasey, Dilruk Jayasinha, Ed Kavalee, Anne Edmonds, Nazeem Hussain, Becky Lucas and Nick Cody trapped in a room together for 6 hours with props, costumes and alcohol at the helm – which is quite frankly a guaranteed recipe for howling guffaws.
The only catch – they’re not allowed to laugh.
Laughing will get them kicked out of the comp, and axed from being in the running to win 100,000 buckaroos.
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Having been stuck in iso with my family for 2 months, I know exactly what it’s like to be trapped in a room with multiple other people who think they’re stand-up comedians and not let out a single chuckle. However, considering each of these individuals is literally a human laugh-factory, I’m sure it’s way more difficult.
Keeping them on track is Australian comedy royalty Rebel Wilson, hosting them from a luxe-af comedy-crib as they’re filmed by hidden cameras, and most importantly reacts to them in the most “Rebel-esque” and hilarious way possible.
Seeing Rebel Wilson flaunt her comedy acting chops is always a good time, however, witnessing her watch fellow comedians and riff on their antics is like watching a masterclass in sarcasm. It’s like her own personal version of Gogglebox – we simply love to see it.
This show is chaotic to say the least. Like, the level of sheer randomness it achieves is mind-blowing. It gives off the same kind of nostalgic vibe of a variety show you and your fam would’ve sat down and watched together on a Saturday night in 2004, except way naughtier and so dang binge-able.
Between watching Frank Woodley flail on the floor like a fish gasping for water and Sam Simmons’ dildo suit-dance, it’s a zany and almost trippy ride from start to finish.
Within the first minutes of the show, Anne Edmonds approaches the no-laugh room simply asking the doorman, “Are there any pingas here?” The actual level of dryness she managed to conjure up in that line was unfathomable – my sides were already bloody split at this point if I’m being honest.
We’re given a little rundown of just what kind of playing style each of the comedians is going to shoot for – comedy nerds will defs appreciate the different styles at play here. You’ve got the observational wit of Nazeem Hussain, the cutting millennial spice of Susie Youssef and of course the slapstick absurdism of Frank Woodley all culminating together in this hilarious feast.
It immediately descends into a Lord Of The Flies type sitch in which every comedian is fending for themselves in the funniest way possible. The undeniably fearless Becky Lucas pulled the first “Joker card” of the ep – the contestants can pull a “Joker card” once in the 6 hours, which puts them in the spotlight to perform a 3-min stand-up set.
Amidst the entirety of the ep there was one comic in particular Rebel had her eye on to catch – the comedian copped the first yellow card warning of the whole competition after cracking a very suspicious smirk as Anne Edmonds heckled Becky.
Watching Rebel dish out the yellow card like a school teacher handing out uniform infringements was a total highlight of the ep – the whole exchange was just such a glorious addition to the wild and weird nature of it all.
It’s also worth noting Anne was responsible for both laughs during the ep – could she be an early contender for victory? We shall wait and see.
One of the best parts of this ep was watching a legit superstar like Rebel gas up our future-legend local produce like Susie Youssef and Nick Cody. It’s also pretty damn endearing to see up and comers compete with seasoned legends – it gives the whole thing the kind of vibe that you’re witnessing the next Gen of greats cut their teeth.
Even though the whole premise of the show is competitive, it’s just so purely funny – watching comedians improvise and go to ridiculous lengths to crack each other up is kind of the wholesome escape I feel like we’re all craving a little in times like this.
You can sign up for a 30 Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video here, and catch episodes 1 and 2 of LOL: Last One Laughing Australia now. Episodes 3 and 4 will be available on June 26 and the last two episodes on July 3.
Check out the trailer here:
