Date:22/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/22/stories/2007022219460400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

It was laughter all the way

Staff Reporter

AT HIS BEST: Australian comedian Jonathan Atherton performing in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: For fans of stand- up comedy, Australian comic and television personality Jonathan Atherton's performance at Hint in Bangalore Central was certainly a rare treat.

The comedian, who has also been a host on the popular Discovery Channel series Lonely Planet, performed at the lounge bar as part of "Comedy Nights" sponsored by Kingfisher.

A globetrotter and a keen linguist, Mr. Atherton had the crowd in splits with his "Around The World In 80 Minutes" routine which pokes politically incorrect, but not offensive fun at Indians, South-east Asians, Americans, Englishmen, Irishmen and of course, the comedian's fellow Australians. Singapore, for instance, is a fine city, he said. "There's a fine for everything."

Of his fellow countrymen, he said, "if someone tells us not to do something, we have to do it. That's how we got to Australia in the first place. We're a bunch of convicts."

As for the Americans, his incisive wit cut straight to Bush bashing. "You can't blame the Americans for George Bush. It's not like they voted for him."

Mr. Atherton left no topic untouched, going through everything from men, women and assorted bodily functions to politics to the future Bachchan daughter-in-law and the offensive kiss in "Dhoom 2" to more risqué topics like transvestites in Singapore and more.

Mr. Atherton is set to perform his final show at Taj Residency in the city on Thursday evening.