Comedian Egypt Reale returns on Saturday, September 29 with her new show Dead Beat Dad, at Subiaco Arts Centre. It’s an unmissable show for one night only in which Reale draws on her own experiences to bring the most awkward and hilarious encounters with her father to life on stage. BRAYDEN EDWARDS investigates.
Egypt Reale’s comedy characters range a redneck dancer to a five-year old child version of herself in a show combining stand-up, sketches and music. Here are some of her not-so-subtle observations that forced her to accept she was in fact the child of a Dead Beat Dad and some key pointers for realising you might have one too!
Does your dad walk around in his underwear in front of your friends?
It’s hard enough to play this down in a one-off occasion, but when it’s an expectation and not just an anomaly it makes it just about impossible.
Does your dad tell you how to live your life when he doesn’t know how to himself?
My dad has insisted on infiltrating my career throughout growing up in showbiz in America. It would be endearing if he at least knew something about what he was talking about, but he never saw that as an issue.
Does your dad live his dream through you in every way possible?
It really is the whole point of having children, so they can achieve all the things you failed at. Unfortunately the child doesn’t get a say in these matters. He does refer to me as “the world’s most talked about comic in the universe” though, which actually might be accurate if you include how much he likes to talk to others about me.
Does your dad say inappropriate things?
I mean they all do, but when they make it their full time occupation there’s a lot to work through.
Does your dad try to perform your job for you and screw it up?
Dads like to think that because they, you know, kind of created you then there’s nothing you could do that can’t be improved with some of their guidance and dad expertise.
Does your dad comment on things that no one should comment on?
It’s not a dad’s responsibility to know what should and shouldn’t be said. Dads think things, dads say those things. End of story.
Dead Beat Dad, starring Egypt Reale, shows at Subiaco Arts Centre on Saturday, September 29.
