It’s so easy to make jokes about Donald Trump that it’s become a bit of a drag. Are anti-vaxxers getting you down? How about the climate change deniers? It almost feels like we’ve heard all possible jokes that could be made about these topics already, not only from comedians, but from just about every person with an internet connection. What more is there to say? That’s what I thought before venturing to the opening night of Wil Anderson’s new show, Critically Wil.

For the past 20-odd years, Anderson has been a staple of the Australian comedy world, on television, radio, podcasts, and, of course, his stand up. It’s the latter where he truly shines and displays not only his quick wit and infectiously warm personality, but also where he can really make the audience think.

As someone who splits his life between living in the Unites States and Australia, Anderson has a somewhat unique perspective on the goings on in each country, and especially their differences. Critically Wil is as much about observing and unpacking issues as a whole, as it is about his own experiences with each.

The key ingredient that makes Critically Wil such a fantastic show is Anderson’s flawless delivery. If one were to read his show with no context as to where it came from or who wrote it, it would read as a depressing dystopian story of a world gone mad. The balance in the show between the sometimes horrifying reality we live in, and the humorous spin Anderson puts on it is perfect. It’s not lighthearted, it’s very real and at times alarming. How often do we sit down and think about how governments choose to ignore the advice of 97% of scientists on climate change? It certainly does not come up in a humorous way very often. It’s a testament to Anderson’s delivery and story telling that he can make us laugh so hard at the things that should make us angry.

It is clearly evident how much Anderson loves his job and admires his colleagues. At his 22nd Melbourne International Comedy festival opening night he wraps up by not only thanking everybody for coming to see him, but also by recommending a string of other performers to see.

We left Critically Wil not only with half a dozen new acts to check out, but with plenty to think about.  Who knows how the world will change between now and the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, for better or worse? The only certainty is that Wil Anderson will find a way to make us laugh about it.

Wil will be performing at Comedy Theatre as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 23rd. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.