Simon Amstell: What is This?, MICF, Farfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne

Simon Amstell's a british comedian whose best known work is probably the work he's trying to retreat from - his 2006-2009 run hosting the music panel show "Never Mind The Buzzcocks", where he spent much of his time mocking the various guests on the program. He's gotten very into analysis and self-help since, and much of his subsequent solo standup shows reflect this. His 2010 show "Do Nothing" is a pretty solid breakthrough, and his current show more or less continues as that goes on - albiet, perhaps, a bit less tight and a bit more rambly. It's not that this is a bad show, it's that it's ... familiar and it doesn't really show anything new. And yes, one could argue that he's basically the same person, and has basically the same set of thoughts (alibiet one now settled with a boyfriend and with a few new drug adventures) - but that doesn't mean that it's still not a disappointment that I don't think he's entirely found a new vein to work in or something richer or different. It's not a bad show so much as it's a familiar remix-of-similar-hits. And I enjoyed in the moment but I'm hoping for something a tad newer.