In astrology, the “Saturn Return” is when Saturn returns to the same place in the sky as when you were born. While the planet Saturn has an orbit that lasts closer to thirty years, astrologists consider the power of Saturn’s Return to kick in around the age of 27. Performer Jaxson Garni faced a lot at age twenty-seven and his show reckons with everything that changed – and whether or not it’s helped him figure out what really makes him happy.
Saturn
Return Policy has a
strong conceit – reflecting on job loss, a change in direction and an overseas
trip that Jaxson hoped might push his career as a comedian to new heights. But
the show is rather formless, skidding from one anecdote to another and not
really taking advantage of the central concept. Jaxson opens by asking the crowd
if they believe in the idea of “Saturn’s Return” without really exploring what
it means. If you’re going to hang your show on an idea, define it first. And if
you think people might change their mind during the course of the show, the
show has its work cut out for it.
Jaxson has
a lovely stage presence and knows how to work a crowd. Some of his comedic
observations are smart and funny but a series of humorous stories don’t always lead
to a cohesive show. Jaxson talks about shifting from stand-up to drag, but I
would have liked him to explore this more – why make that change? What is it
that he likes about drag over comedy? And what’s the overlap between the two
that might make this show unique?
There’s
nothing wrong with a comedy show veering from topic to topic, but if you’re
going to give your show a thematic throughline, every bit has got to add more
and more to that discussion. And if you promise a fifty-minute show, make sure
you’re not looking for bits to pad it out after half-an-hour.
Maybe it’s
good that Jaxson has found drag, because this set was a bit of a mess.
- Keith Gow, Theatre First
Saturn Return Policy is on at Melbourne International Comedy Festival every weekend until April 21.
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