Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reviewed Sunday 14 September 2025).
Andrew Cornelius and Caroline Nagy are comedic sweethearts. The couple hailing from LA were here in Sydney for two nights only with their part stand-up / part spoken word performance Los Angeles: Fake Friends and Real Stories. There was pathos, there was humour, there were audible gasps from the audience.
Andrew’s comedic set could be described as ‘Seinfeld friendly’ – noting the difference between sultanas and raisins and why everything in Sydney feels like it’s going uphill like an Escher painting. The maddening overreach of AI made good material, as did his wry observation of living in LA and being ‘Hollywood adjacent’.
Violinist Caroline Nagy gives a powerful, emotional story about the time she botched the put-down of her beloved dog, Scooter. It may not make for immediate LOL material but Nagy describes the angst of dealing family members who minimised, ignored or gaslighted their responsibilities throughout the entire ordeal. It’s a story that connects even if you don’t own a pet, and Nagy punctuates her rage with stringed renditions of Enter Sandman, James Bond, Mission Impossible and Peter and the Wolf.
The honest storytelling from both performers is self-effacing, genial and endearing, steering away from overdone political and penile jokes. Whilst there might be temptation to go more high tech (e.g scrolling subtitles), I think there is more power in music and songs. A good drum beat is always infectious, with repetition of key lines that can be both triggering and comical.
We hope to give this duo a big welcome back in future performances around Australia, including Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney Fringe festivals.
Los Angeles: Fake Friends and Real Stories played at Factory Theatre as part of Sydney Fringe Comedy Festival on 13-14 September. For more on the artists’ work, go to: