Arts and Culture

Hi, my names Mark Tripodi, and I’ve just gone to see Ivan Aristeguieta’s new show, premiering at the Adelaide Fringe, Matador.

Ivan Aristeguieta is the only comedian that both my dad and I know. When Ivan appeared on the TV my dad repeated the jokes back to me, verbatim. This is a testament to Ivan’s broad appeal; he’s an incredibly loveable comedian, and he’s the kind of comedian that’s for everyone. His first Fringe show – Chorizo Sizzle – was such a success you can jump online and check it out as part of ABC iView’s Next Generation.

Matador is Ivan’s latest offering, and its premiere is here, at Adelaide Fringe. In some ways that’s great for Adelaide – we get to see how the sausage is made. However, the risk is, as with any brand new show, the seams are gonna show.

Ivan seemed to be lacking the confidence in his show that the show needed; some of the links between the jokes were tenuous, the central thesis of the show wasn’t very clear, the links and segues need more work to flow into each other – everything just felt a little stiff and forced. I could see the bones of a great show there, a touching show about family and love, but it’s too muddled to be at that point yet. That’s not to say there weren’t moments of joy in the show; Ivan is still a pro. He’s like pizza, in that there’s no such thing as a terrible Ivan Aristeguieta show. My dad and I like Ivan (and pizza) for a reason. But there’s more to be done yet.

He’s got a ★★★★ star show there, maybe more, but right now, it’s ★★★.

You can find a transcript of the review here.