Words: Elodie Marriott
Image: Shane Coles

3 stars

To begin, a Rushton classic: managing expectations. There’s only one refund ticket so we’re advised to get in there early to avoid a mob later on. His arcane stare seems to say: ask me about my jacket, I dare you. It’s a pink windbreaker. No one challenges it, so he brings it up himself.

It’s a common misconception that nepo babies are only actors and musicians. Luckily, Rushton sets us straight. Sometimes they’re secondary school invigilators. He centres Real One around a “potentially threatening” email and his misadventures at school, as both a child and an adult.

Like the poets (well, like the ones who favour dry delivery over lyrical prose), Rushton contemplates love. By contemplates, I mean meticulously dissects the rules of dating, decoding how best to place a comma so she knows you’re a bad boy. And by love, he means fantasy dates involving Margot Robbie. The set alternates between relatable material and stories that add to the lore of ‘Eric Rushton,’ effectively constructing his uniqueness as a performer.

Rushton believes he lacks charisma. In its place, he projects a wily sense of quiet self- assuredness. In any case, the refund ticket sits unclaimed for the duration of his set.

Eric Rushton: Real One
Monkey Barrel Comedy, Hive 2
15:20
Aug 8-13, 15-25