We All Have Bloody Thoughts –Sydney Comedy Festival (NSW)

Written and performed by Greg Larsen

Review by Justin Clarke

4.5 STARS

Within the first five minutes of his show, Greg Larsen wants you to know that he is not a paedophile. If you too have a particular hatred towards capitalism, bosses who monitor your toilet time or stereotypes you fit in to, you may just find a night of catharsis in Greg Larsen’s hour of award-nominated comedy.

The title, We All Have Bloody Thoughts, rings true to the tangents that he goes on throughout the evening. Jumping straight into how McDonald’s triple cheeseburgers made him the man he is today, it’s clear that Larsen can poke fun at himself, setting a foundation for the tirades that he is about to unleash.

There are moments that are not for the faint of heart, with discussions of paedophilia and gun rampages making some fall silent, but underneath it all Larsen manages to rope together an overall feeling that never falls into Jim Jefferies territory.

Throughout the many, many stories that Larsen has floating around in his head, is an anger that is palpitating and addictive. If you also worked in retail throughout the pandemic, perhaps you too would have found yourself quite comfortable not being spit and coughed on whilst relaxing in your lockdown. If you sometimes wonder that perhaps Karl Marx had a good idea going, perhaps you too would throw a fit at the predatorial marketing of caffeine to infants.

Larsen has a keen ability to tie everything into a nice neat little bow – “there’s a theme going on here” he states when admitting that he jumps into the Red Rooster drive through because they have better gravy; “that’s why this was nominated for an award.” The overarching existential dread of existence covers everything Larsen touches, with a self-confessional undertone of depression and outrage at the government’s lack of funding to address mental health issues.

You’ll leave Larsen’s show with stories and morals stapled into your brain. The next time you pass a mother comforting her baby with a soft, “I know darling, I know” you won’t be able to help but remember that babies never come out of the womb laughing. This is an hour of comedy for those who just need to let loose and hear someone share their bloody thoughts and perhaps you'll never order a babycino again in your life.

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We All Have Bloody Thoughts plays at the Factory Theatre from 12 - 14 May. Find tickets here.

Greg Larsen then tours to the Brisbane Comedy Festival from 17 - 22 May, and the Replay Festival in Melbourne from 20 - 24 July 2022.

Follow Greg Larsen on Instagram @greglarsencomedian, and find his Grub Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.