She’s all grown up now, with child, husband and a flash career in Melbourne, yet Cal Wilson is still the energizer bunny of the comedy circuit. Oozing boundless enthusiasm, she’s one of the brightest, most vivacious and uplifting women I know. She makes delivering a story-filled show, complete with unscheduled technical failure, look natural, easy and even pleasurable.

We leave the theatre bubbling with stories of our own – In fact, I have no doubt Cal’s premise (sharing a swag of stories with a bunch of folk in a low lit room) inspires everyone else in the audience to do the same: share good ole fashioned ‘beginning-middle-end’ stories with their mates.

Being part of an interactive, inclusive and exposing night, is effortless, as Cal is so free and friendly with her own memories and tales, plus supportive of all the offers her audience gives, that it’s impossible not to feel a willingness to share. Folks are all too keen to do so, with some – such as ex flatmates Mike and Warren – revealing many sordid details.

Cal leads us to her story-board, with colourful speech bubbles Velcroed on the back wall of the stage, which act as story-starters, with topics like ‘Sex’, ‘Moments of mortification’, ‘Lies Your Family Told You’ and so on.

Our crowd need little more encouragement than that. Admittedly the open night posse is dotted with friends but even so, the dialogue between performer and audience is overflowing and hugely entertaining.

I imagine Cal’s material for this show keeps growing. Just as she shares the best offers from previous audiences, so too will our gems of the night (such as Mr Whippy’s timely tune) become part of future shows. We are an awesome audience, especially the row of merry nurses at the back.

Before we get to the stories proper, on opening night, Cal has to deal with a stand-up comedian’s worst nightmare: microphone failure. However, the outcome is a seamless bonus comedy routine, with Josh the tech endowed with an on-stage support role, as Cal successfully directs the dilemma, including a partial strip, as she takes off the faulty mic, describing her move as “The World’s Saddest Burlesque Show”. She doesn’t miss a beat, and we hear ever word. Kiwi ingenuity. Much respect.

Once we are safely back on the story-wagon, Cal’s show is a treat from start to finish; from recounting urban legends to sharing personal experiences from childhood, youth, love and life. Even though her opening night is “a shambles” from Cal’s perspective, from where her audience’s is sitting, it’s the opposite: her stories are fresh and totally natural in the telling, plus very funny in content and delivery. 

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