‘I Love Money’ // Melbourne International Comedy Festival & Jett Bond

‘I Love Money’ was eccentric.

Introducing Jett… Jett Bond. The absurdly eccentric and funny clown with a love for all things money.

Performing at The Motley Bauhaus, in their small upstairs theatre, ‘I Love Money’ is a comedic sketch performance where fun, money-loving comedian, Jett Bond, explores all things money starting from cashed-up lifestyles to cashless artists, asking, ‘Is this really worth it?’ and everything in between.

Returning to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with their second solo show ‘I Love Money’, after their previous success in 2023, Bond’s ‘I Love Money’ highlights the monetary issues of the cost of living, the financial reality of learning the real trick of magic school (making $40,000 disappear) and the funny extremes people move towards, all for the sake of, you guessed it, more money.

A collection of comedic sketches all interwoven and leading one into the other, Bond cleverly pokes fun at the absurdity of living the landlord high life, the 9-5 office hustle, small business owners, ex-private school students turned comedians, and even the promotion of stationery brands for money without believing in their product. This is cleverly intertwined with audience interaction and involvement, where Bond performs their excellent disappearing magic skills, goofy character comedy impressions and clown-ship abilities.

With the stage already set in a small, intimate layout, the feel of the show was immediately very collective, conversational, and inclusive. Even though the audience was there to see Bond, there were moments where Bond gave the audience opportunities to play along and be collectively involved in the show, – crew included! Using voiceovers, sound effects, songs and dance numbers, these elements made the performance flow.  Bond’s announcement at the beginning of the show, stating that audience participation was definite and that we were all here to interact and have fun, did not have a jarring effect, rather audience members warmed to it! And of course, at any comedic show hecklers tried to outshine the comedian. But in this case, it just added more depth and didn’t derail the overall performance.

Bond’s costuming was versatile as well as very casual and professional in appearance. Wearing a suit jacket and shirt with shorts and a pair of thongs, Bond incorporated small costume accessories to differentiate between different characters and comedic sketches.

Bond’s sketches moved from one to the other, however, at times, it felt like there was no link between these ideas and jokes, which left a little confusion over whether certain material was connected or part of previous comedic sections. Despite this, Bond is a natural storyteller and despite performing on a small stage,  confidently utilising the whole of the stage and audience space. With a few light-hearted musical show tunes thrown in, Bond’s choreography was funny, committed, goofy and entertaining to watch. Being the lead entertainer in your own show and interacting with a different audience every night is no easy feat, and this reviewer takes their hat off to Bond.

Overall, ‘I Love Money’ is an eccentric exploration into the reality of the world’s relationship with money and the funny side of the stress, freedom, and pressures of it. It’s an inventive and likable performance that harnesses the truth that money is all around us, rich or poor.

‘I Love Money’ performs until Friday, 5 April 2024 at The Motley Bauhaus. For ticketing and show information visit the official Melbourne International Comedy Festival website.