Tim Key is an English comedian (also actor & writer) who has done the Melbourne International Comedy Festival before but this is the first time I'd seen him.
He won best show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 (as he reminds us many times with comic effect in Megadate) and whilst that was a while ago, it gives you a sense that we're dealing with a fairly heavy hitter. He lives up to that in this wacky show that tells a story of an epic first date in London, where he and his date visit famous landmarks such as Madame Tussauds. There's videos dotted throughout the show that are really slick and make a great contrast to what he's doing on stage. It's cleverly and amusingly done.
Tim's delivery involves lots of yelling which, for me, added to the laughs, but I wonder if it would be off-putting for some people. It took some getting used to! The whole show is quite the ride, with moments of mania and moments of introspection. It reminded me a bit of some Sam Simmons shows in that regard, so if you know and love Sam's work, this show might be right up your alley.
Megadate also involves some costume changes and Tim popping up in places around the room other than the stage. Certainly no big deal but I guess what I'm saying is, if your taste is someone standing at a microphone just shooting the breeze, you might find Tim Key a bit too strange for your taste.
Some of Tim's material didn't land because of UK references that Aussies don't get. For example, a gag where the punchline required the audience to know British journalist John Craven got crickets. His response? "Yeah, that one doesn't work here." I suspect it'll be cut from the show.
That said, I really liked Megadate even with it's craziness, probably actually because of it. He's performing in a fairly large room and on the night I was there it was only a third or so full which is a shame. I think his is the kind of comedy that would benefit from a big full room of people egging each other on.
So if you're into trying something a bit different, get yourself some tickets to Tim Key! The Herald Sun have reviewed him giving four stars. Details on the show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/tim-key