Review: VEHICLE @ State Theatre Centre of WA

VEHICLE at Rehearsal Room 1 @ State Theatre Centre of WA
Saturday, January 21, 2023

8/10

VEHICLE was an upbeat and hilarious offering from “two of Perth’s most famously unknown comedians,” Shane Adamczak and Shane Longley. Driven by the pair’s sharp comedic writing and tight improv skills, the show was one-long madcap adventure that kept the audience not only entertained, but laughing, from beginning to the end. 

The show’s narrative found Adamczak and Longley on a journey to the remote town of Mukinbudin for a talent festival. Breaking the fourth wall from the get-go, the two introduced themselves to the audience. Trading turns, each performer rattled off a myriad of performances that the audience might recognise them from, complete with screen captures of said shows on the stage’s projected backing. 

This level of playfulness with form was present throughout the production and meant that the audience never knew just what exactly would happen next on stage providing the show with slightly unhinged element that served to heighten the narrative’s comedic impact. As one might expect, the pair’s journey was not a completely smooth affair, and it was through these twists and turns that Adamczak and Longley kept the show fresh and lively.

In one of the show’s funniest scenes, after a vehicular breakdown, the two have to camp out under the stars, and Longley enters Adamcazk’s dream in the form of something that is probably best described as an ‘inside joke.’

As the artists joked at the top of the show, the name VEHICLE is rather apt as the show is indeed a vehicle for the two comedians/performers to showcase their multitude of skills. VEHICLE shines from both performers’ vast experience as well as the pair’s great chemistry with one another. When driven together, Adamczak and Longley were able to make something truly unique of and about themselves.

MICHAEL HOLLICK