Don't Call Me A Wog! - Perth Comedy Festival

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https://www.anthonylocascio.me

Date Reviewed: 02/05/2022

Anthony Locascio wowed an unsuspecting audience last weekend at the Regal Chorus room in Subiaco, Perth. From the moment Anthony stepped onto the stage, his connection with the audience was smooth, natural and sincere, with original stories and jokes of his Italian/Greek heritage. Full disclaimer…I was so captivated by his flirtatious smile that I sometimes got lost in his eyes. When I found myself back, I was in stitches! 

In “Don’t Call Me A Wog”, Anthony described childhood experiences, where he did not feel quite accepted in neither the Italian or Greek community, as he felt he was a ‘mongrel’ or ‘half cast’. Although he felt this way growing up, he still met with racial stereotypes from his Aussie peers for, neither here nor there, but collectively named, a ‘Wog’. 

Any immigrant, or even second generation immigrant, can relate to how growing up in Australian schools could make you a candidate for racial stereotypes, whether it be because of your skin colour, religious practices or the food you eat. One of my favourite moments in this show was when Anthony described going to his Aussie mates house for dinner and was shocked at what he saw. Pitying his friends, his own ‘wog’ food, could only be considered as a 5 star banquet in comparison-which he got to eat every day. And the bigger the occasion, the more food you get! A very good reason why he was over 90kg in his school years!

Anthony truly has an endearing delivery, where he captivates you with his charisma, and shocks you with original one-liners that have the crowd roaring with laughter. A lot of the time, comedians can be quite predictable, but Anthony had a way of leading you into a story without knowing where it was going to go, and then get you right in the gut.  

Anthony described his own personal experiences in a comical way, where he not only makes fun of himself, but he also made light of, what could have been challenging experiences at the time. Being able to reflect and see the humour in being teased because it was rumoured that his Father was part of the mafia, for instance, allowed the audience to go on a journey with him, and like myself, think about all the other Italian friends I had when I was at school (who I may or may not have suspected that was also part of the mafia…).

His stories are only loosely based on being Italian or Greek, so anyone can relate to this show. With effective and perfectly timed use of a power point screen and clicker, he invites you into other moments of his life like childhood dance classes; his journey as a beginner comedian (and some of the ruthless ones he’s met that expected him to fall on his face which he swears never to name and shame…) and paying homage to one of his favourite predecessors, in a very thoughtful and loving way.

Did you know that Comedians can have degrees too? The crowd loved hearing Anthony’s take on public opinions and just left patrons wanting more of his own. He does not filter out the criticisms he received from his supposed ‘racist’ YouTube videos, showing us live comments and texts of insults he received from all over the world, but claimed them. His transparency made the audience feel like they knew him personally.

If you love the Italian or Greek language, Anthony reading out these comments in his language was like foreplay for the ears! 

We are very lucky to have Anthony grace our stages. He is one of Australia’s most talented rising stars and with this trajectory, he will be a common household name. Anthony will be around for a long time, and if you want to know why, you will need to see him live, on what will only be, a more deserving, larger stage. However, you cannot complain having an intimate night out with Anthony! 

If you can’t wait for his next show, you can check out his YouTube channel, just try and not fall in love with those eyes and that captivating smile!

Anthony Locascio: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErv_YVC51gXS6r0Y0dBypA

 

Written by Yannick Benoit