I’ve always been a fan of James Mustapic. A Billy T Award nominee this year, I would watch his old Youtube content, including Shorty St Scandal (don’t @ me but I used to watch Shorty). So when I saw he was part of the festival this year, he was immediately top of my list for shows to watch.
Inside James Mustapic is a hilarious multimedia presentation into the repressed memories of a Gen Z’er. Expect names to be unearthed you haven’t heard for at least a decade. Even being there was a nostalgia trip — I literally got too excited to speak with Harry Warner sitting next to me, and Erin Simpson behind me. If either of those names ring a bell for you, then this is 100% the show for you.
Mustapic keeps his show rolling with a narrative of diving inside himself to ‘clean his dirty mind’, among other body parts that allegedly need fixing. Having a clear progression to the show made for a crisp hour of comedy, where Mustapic constantly jumped between consistent winning jokes, and left the lady in front of me legitimately choking of laughter.
The show culminated in a deserved prolonged rapturous applause. I’ve had the privilege to watch four comedy shows so far as a reviewer, but I can certainly say Inside James Mustapic was my favourite. Without a doubt a frontrunner for this year’s Billy T Award.
“Diagnosis: a case of serious comedic talent.”