Rob Carlton: Virgin In A Knife Fight comedy review – Cheeky self-deprecation
The onetime White Lotus star recounts a wild anecdote from his youth
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Logie award winning actor Rob Carlton (yes, the same one you saw in The White Lotus) is back on the Fringe stage with Virgin In A Knife Fight. And honestly, this feels less like watching a performance and more like sitting down with your funniest, most self-aware uncle at a BBQ when he wants to tell you about ‘that time in Europe’.
The journey begins with 18-year-old Rob hitchhiking through Salzburg and haphazardly finding himself in a three-person knife fight. From there, he moves through three other life-defining moments: the blushing indiscretions of youth, a courtroom saga that sounds too outrageous to be true, and a deeply personal reflection on fatherhood and friendship that lands with real emotional weight.
With nothing but a prop chair, Carlton proves he is a natural-born storyteller. He’s warm, cheeky, self-deprecating and his comic wit remains razor sharp. But what really makes this performance is that he isn’t afraid to let us see his mistakes, his ego and his fears. Perhaps this show won’t have you walking out a changed person (it’s not that kind of theatre). But you will walk out considering your own ‘knife fight’ moments: were you the hero, the idiot or both? This is brilliant storytelling for anyone who loves a yarn: heartfelt, humorous and, above all, human.
Rob Carlton: Virgin in a Knife Fight, Le Cascadeur, The Garden of Unearthly Delights until Sunday 8 March.
In partnership with InDaily, this review will also appear on the InReview site as part of our Adelaide Fringe coverage. Check out the full InDaily site, including previews and features on Adelaide Fringe season.