Petty grievances come back to the Fringe

Bondi-born comedian Jeremy Moses is returning to the Melbourne Fringe Festival with a new solo show, Jeremy Moses is HARD TO WORK WITH, a tongue-in-cheek exploration of friendship, creative clashes and the Jewish art of kvetching.

Moses, who moved to Melbourne in 2018 to pursue comedy full time, has quickly become a Fringe regular.

“I did my first Melbourne Fringe show in 2023,” he told The AJN. “I actually signed up before I had ever done stand-up comedy, so I had to learn on the job at gigs in the months between. It’s good fun, and the feedback is immediate.”

This year marks his third Fringe appearance, but his first solo run at Festival Hub: Trades Hall.

The show takes inspiration from last year’s performance, which ended in a dramatic falling-out with his collaborators.

“It’s a series of sketches that will let the audience, and me, piece together what went wrong last year,” Moses explained. “Complaining about petty grievances feels unique to Jewish comedy, so this feels a little bit like honouring my ancestors. We love a good kvetch.”

Drawing on stand-up, sketches, songs, and even puppetry, Moses promises a show that is equal parts silly and cathartic.

“I can’t legally tell the full story of last year’s mishegas, but hopefully with some creative storytelling I can paint a picture. It’s a very fun and silly show, but it’s helping me work through some things too.”

Moses’ comedy is deeply shaped by his identity and lived experience. Legally blind due to a rare genetic condition found in Baghdadi Jews, he often mines his Jewish roots for humour.

“There isn’t much distance between the child learning my bar mitzvah phonetically and the man-child learning my latest hour of stand-up,” he joked. “It’s a similar skill-set, and I have my roots to thank.”

Jeremy Moses is HARD TO WORK WITH is at Festival Hub: Trades Hall from October 2-12.
For tickets, visit melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/jeremy-moses-is-hard-to-work-with