There’s no minchin his words of wisdom
DARK MOFO: TIM MINCHIN Tim Minchin, piano and vocals Odeon Theatre, Hobart June 19
TIM Minchin’s previous Hobart performance was in March 2011 with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Since then his fame has spread internationally with award-winning musicals Matilda and Groundhog Day, and an ill-fated animated movie, Larrikins, which was cancelled by DreamWorks after several years devoted to the project.
Minchin’s satire and intimate, improvisational style remained as biting as ever, but there were now darker elements present where he ruminated on life’s personal disappointments as well as its triumphs.
How much of this reflects his sometimes embittered — though still excruciatingly funny — stage persona, and how much is the real Tim, it is hard to tell. In all probability I imagine it’s a bit of both!
A greater emphasis on chatting with his audience included a revealing and hilarious depiction of his relationship with Mona’s David Walsh.
The voice and command of the keyboard were as strong as ever in a program that comprised familiar material along with some new songs. If the Plane Goes Down, Leaving LA and numbers from the two musicals were representative of his recent work. Old favourites such as Rock ’n’ Roll Nerd, Prejudice and the sweetly nostalgic White Wine in the Sun still resonated strongly with the capacity audience. This was stellar Dark Mofo stuff.