FRINGE REVIEW: 6056 — Making Midland Proud
Set upstairs in Perth’s Flour Factory, Cameron McLaren’s 6056 is an encapsulation of Perthie humour with a dash of social commentary, cynicism and a plethora of self-deprecating jokes.
To start out, 30 Years Single’s Daniel Delby, one of Cameron’s close mates, got the crowd warmed up with his colloquial, but hilarious, representation of his upbringing and his career in western Perth.
After coming on stage, Cameron didn’t waste any time, and began to paint a very vivid picture to the audience of what growing up in the westside of Perth was like. His bubbly nature carried him through the set. However, some of his jokes fell a little flat — there were moments where it felt like the collective thought was: “Should we be laughing?” Even then, the quintessential Perth humour hit home, and overall Cameron’s show was well-crafted for a Fringe show.
Amidst his light-hearted commentary, Cameron McLaren addressed social issues such as violence, drug abuse and a lack of quality education. His personal experiences shed light on a the side of Perth we often far too easily turn a blind eye to; he achieved this aptly by expressing the consequences that come with those experiences. Though confronting, McLaren demonstrated his prowess as a comedian by being able to release the audience’s tension while still maintaining a sense of social criticism.
McLaren, more than anything, was a reminder of how artists and creatives can be just about anyone. So often we think about artists as being exclusive and as existing on a different tier of expression, but McLaren was just another bloke who wanted to crack jokes and make his mates laugh. And it worked.
