‘Comedy for Corporates’ // Sydney Comedy Festival
‘Comedy for Corporates: Work-Life Balance is for Losers’ was candid.
For the Sydney Comedy Festival, at the University of Sydney’s Manning Bar, James Clark presented his comedy set targeted at corporate workers in the intimate Room 1 space.
Through the show, Clark, a successful banker in his day job, recounts stories and observations from his career. From raunchy valentines day meetings, to zoom call narcissism, Clark covers a range of experiences most corporate workers would be able to connect with.
The Friday night set was fairly well attended, with some larger groups from businesses coming together for the allure of a corporate comedian. The venue was hosting several spaces for comedy so the lobby space was filled out and provided a good setting to warm the crowd before entering the set.
Opening the set, Clark began with an explanation of who he was and the life he wishes to lead through his success in business and comedy. He engaged the crowd quickly with a picture of the amenity-focused life he pursues.
Each crowd member Clark selected, when asked what they do for work, provided an answer that seemed to fit the show’s demographic, such as lawyer or corporate real estate manager. With this information, Clark delivered focused commentary on the companies each worked for, which seemed to resonate well with the crowd, garnering many knowing laughs.
However, this good will with the audience felt squandered when later crowd work involved more personal comments involving a person’s fashion or appearance, which made the audience more uncomfortable.
The main moment of discomfort in the room was when Clark brought up large political conflicts in the world, and used it as a device to display the busy life he leads, which stops him from providing an input on the situation personally. These topics came up a few times throughout the set, and each time the crowd seemed to respond coldly. Given the core focus was work life, as well as the show’s presentation in a university where students are actively vocal about these issues, the set may have benefitted from avoiding this topic.
Despite the cold response in these moments, the crowd was brought back on side quickly when Clark returned to material focused on the cyclical, dry corporate office experiences that all in the crowd could relate to.
As he approached the conclusion of the set, Clark drew on more intimate experiences, from office love, childhood experiences that prepared him for the workplace, to competition within the workplace. This was a strong finish for the night, before giving a heartwarming message contrasting his title, encouraging people to ensure they take time in their life to seek out more than just work.
Clark clearly has a broad knowledge of the corporate world, and when he leans on this knowledge he provides hard working professionals an outlet to laugh at their difficult and busy lives.
James Clark’s ‘Comedy for Corporates: Work-Life Balance is for Losers’ ran from 15th – 17th of May, 2024 at the Manning Bar. For more information visit the venue website
