Comedy Review - The Divine Comedy
Images courtesy of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Compassion for the clowns
Anthony Locascio’s 2026 show The Divine Comedy is exactly that - an exploration of his soul’s 10 day journey through the afterlife of heartbreak. In a packed, fairytale-themed room at Storyville, the Sydney-based comedian recounts a trip down to Melbourne for his bucks night. A night filled with beer and partying. But as the story unfolds, underscored by a darker energy absent from his 2024 show Pappou, it becomes clear this isn’t leading to the happily-ever-after he was promised.
It’s at this moment that Locascio’s show transforms from your conventional stand-up routine to a carefully constructed emotional journey. He really leans into his classical Greco-Roman heritage, as he explores philosophy and faith all with the occasional big penis joke thrown in for balance. While Pappou centred his Pappou Petro, The Divine Comedy is centred around the intensive silent retreat Locasio attended in a bid to heal himself. I promise it’s not as sappy as it sounds; Locascio’s quick wit and ability to layer joke after joke will keep you more than sufficiently entertained.
At times the performance felt almost like a TED Talk - something Locascio himself acknowledges - or even a kind of free therapy. He leans heavily into introspection rather than punchlines, allowing his tale to naturally unfold, rather than chasing constant laughs. Whilst it doesn’t land as consistently or as sharply funny as his earlier show, it definitely explores a greater sense of honesty and emotional depth. This could be off-putting for those looking for a fast and cheap laugh, but for those who are drawn in by the show’s name, or who have an interest in Dante’s imagery and structure, it offers a multi-layered experience, far beyond any punchline.
The show had a shaky start, Locascio opening with some fairly edgy jokes that might not have been the right fit for the crowd that night - always the case when you market yourself as something beyond the expected ‘wog comedian’, but people come expecting the same old food based stereotypes based solely on your ethnic name. That’s exactly why Locascio stands out, he’s a modern comedian who just happens to be wog. Sure his background influences his comedy, but it’s not the entire act, and he avidly avoids turning it into a one-note schtick. And one could argue that his ability to incorporate the symbolism of the greek dance Zebekiko, both in his initial criticism of its out of place use in modern weddings to tying it all back to his introspective analysis of grief that centred the entire show, is more ‘wog’ than any of the usual cliches. Just be warned of the Jesus jokes if you’re particularly religious and unable to look past shock factor for an underlying message.
If you’re into comparing your penis with your nonno’s, meditation retreats, evil clowns, and called-off weddings, then The Divine Comedy is the show for you.
4 out of 5 vapes.
The Divine Comedy was part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, running from the 26 of March to the 19th of April. For more info, click here.