Fringe Review: Married at First Fight

Reviewed at Maxim's Wine Bar on 13 February 2019

Presented by Matt Byrne Media

Australians love trashy Reality TV, and lately it’s the craze of Married at First Sight that has us glued to the TV at night to see what antics these newlyweds will get up to! Matt Byrne Media has jumped on this bandwagon and delivered a hilarious night of fun with Married at First Fight, a marital arts comedy that certainly had the audience in stitches!

The simple setting of Maxim’s Wine Bar provided the perfect setting for all of this to come into place, with Paul Tossell at the reigns for lighting and sound throughout. Costumes and props were kept to a minimum, keeping the action on our four actors, as it should be.

Writer and Director Matt Byrne also stars as one of four contestants being paired together. Byrne gives Ron Turn a very creepy approach and delivers some of those very cringey moments from that partner who was just a little bit off. Byrne also has great comic timing and knows when to throw in that extra joke or two while having the crowd in the palm of his hand. Paired with Mr. Turn is poor Valerie Salmon, played by Rose Vallen, who has the difficult task of playing along with some of Byrne’s quick humor but she does this effortlessly. Vallen plays the most lovable of the four characters, and does so with ease.

Kylie Cleavage is a character with a screeching voice like nails on a chalkboard, but one that Amber Platten manages to play with just the right amount of energy and zest. Platten is still incredibly charming and sweet, and manages to light up the stage with both her looks and infectious charm. Barry Bigtime is the lucky partner of Ms. Cleavage, played by Brad Butvila. Barry is a likable bloke just looking for love, and Butvila has this character down perfectly. His dialogue and diction is the clearest of the four, along with his comic timing and witty actions.

Together, this four-piece ensemble work together incredibly well, and each of these skits have been well rehearsed and timed. There are a number of smaller skits and moments mixed in with the overall theme of the show, including audience participation and musical numbers. The crowd was always thoroughly entertained, and you never really knew what was coming next!

If you are looking for a night full of big laughs and amusing backstories to four very interesting characters, you need to look no further than a show like this. Byrne has proven time and time again that this is something he excels in, and manages to get a team with him that take it to the next level.

Reviewed by Daniel Knowles

Rating out of 5:  4.5

Venue:  Maxim’s Wine Bar
Season:  Feb 13 – Mar 16
Duration:  120 Minutes
Tickets:  $25 – $28