Contemplating Umbilicals

Umbilical Brothers David Collins (left) and Shane Dundas.

He who holds the microphone creates the sound that controls the universe.

As far as premises go, there have been simpler ones. But, given the longevity of the Umbilical Brothers' career, clearly many people get their unique brand of comedy.

Shane Dundas comprises one half of the duo, the other being younger "brother" David Collins.

In Don't Explain, the show the Australian comedians are about to bring to New Zealand, it is Dundas who often gains control of said microphone.

Hence it seems fitting it is his voice on the telephone from Canberra, a place he likens to a "movie with too few extras".

Canberra is also home to Dundas' girlfriend and the couple's dog who, the performer notes, is in great shape.

Certainly, the canine has no need for the glucosamine tablets Dundas takes to preserve joints that come under regular strain as a result of the Umbilical Brothers' physically rigorous shows.

They may be comedians, but they do far more than stand up and deliver killer lines.

Their comedy is a modern, highly original twist on mime, involving cartoon arms races, hilarious Germans, children's entertainment gone awry, kung fu insects and tap-dancing cowboys.

Dundas describes their brand of humour as a mix of the observational, an approach often employed by stand-up comedians, applied to slapstick routines.

Childhood instincts are thrown in with tightly edited details.

There is also a nod to modern media techniques, such as slow-motion sequences and television highlights packages, all of which are acted at various speeds by the pair.

"Self-reflective humour is what I really like," Dundas says.

"You're making fun of yourself, of the actual form you're watching. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a movie director.

"In a way, we are directing our own movies on stage. We can freeze, rewind, whatever, but we just have to physically do it . . . because we're not a movie."