★★★★★
Dan Rath shuffles on to stage, runs his hand through his trademark tight curls and begins his frankly absurd one-hour set with his now trademark line “I’m not doing well folks,”. There is no conventional small-talk with the audience and limited crowd work. Rath launches straight into an hour of self-deprecating nihilistic chaos. Rath is chaos personified. He clutches the mic stand like it’s a comfort blanket.
To the untrained eye, Rath’s set might be the chaotic ramblings of a work in progress. But there is an art to the complete disregard for the conventions of observational stand-up Rath has. This schtick endears him to his audience, far more than platitudes of crowd work would from a more conventional comedian. The set is packed with jokes and with Rath’s deadpan delivery, this just makes them all the more darkly funny.
It is a surreal spiral through late-stage capitalism and mental fragmentation. One particular highlight is where Rath tells the audience he wants to defect into North Korea because of the overwhelming amount of choice in different milks available to him. Or, his segment on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which he describes as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” of neurodiversity because people who have been diagnosed with it are constantly trying to recruit others.
His style is singular, but Rath’s voice is its own beast: raw, irreverent, completely absurd, self-effacing and laced with a kind of poetic nihilism that somehow makes the audience feel seen. His set is a one-man panic attack wrapped in punchlines so inventive they feel like fever dreams.
Following the award-winning All Quiet Carriage Along the Inner West Line, Tropical Depression cements Rath’s reputation as one of Australia’s most original comedic minds. With accolades from MICF and Sydney Comedy Festival already under its belt, this show is not just a highlight of the Fringe—it’s a revelation.
If you’re new to Rath, brace yourself. His set is a glorious mess of ideas, anxieties and laugh-out-loud moments that leave you wondering how something so dark can be so funny.
Dan Rath: Tropical Depression will be performed at Monkey Barrell: Cab Vol until 24 August as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Lauren Gilmour
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