This comedy show purports to be a night of relatable laughs for those of us unfortunate enough to make our living in the ‘sleep paralysis demon’ of industries- hospitality.

The concept and format are winners- stand-up comedy performed by those in the industry, for those in the industry, and about the industry. Yes, it’s niche, but it has a lot of potential; there is, after all, a lot to talk about. Every single person who has ever been near a restaurant, bar, pub, or fine dining establishment has at the very least one horror story. There’s endless material for the resourceful comedian.

First up on the bill was Tim Kershaw, who certainly has natural comedic talent. His stories of working in some of the fanciest restaurants around and receiving the poorest treatment imaginable had the audience both giggling, and in some cases, relating hard. Unfortunately, he stumbled toward the end of his set, attempting to address equality in the industry- his assertion that sexual assault was impossible in the industry was surprisingly tone-deaf.

Next, we had Jarryd Goundrey, fresh from the kitchens of the Melbourne restaurant scene. His stage presence was engaging and fresh, as was his audience engagement. The reliance on cheap laughs was disappointing, but not unexpected from comedians at the beginning of their journeys in an industry just as unforgiving as hospo.

With such potential and natural comedic talent, it is disappointing to note that the tail end of this show fizzled out. The retired chefs brought on a guest, a current food blogger and – what a surprise- retired chef, to tell a horror story. Now, it has to be said, this was one heck of a story. So why was this the most boring part of the show? I don’t necessarily object to the idea of bringing on special guests- particularly when they have such wild stories, however, this section of the evening collapsed into a conversation between three friends- rather than an attempt at comedy. It was as though the audience was not present, and not in a good way.

All in all, go and see this show if you work in hospitality and have a free evening (which you probably don’t).