They have traveled the globe performing rambunctious comedy shows and guest starring on numerous television shows. Tonight, Australia's Umbilical Brothers are making their way to John R. Emens Auditorium. Describing what the Umbilical Brothers, composed of David Collins and Shane Dundas, actually do is tricky.
"Call it vaudeville updated. Call it mime with sound effects. Call it self-referential, post-modern arsing around. You are no nearer to describing the phantasmic theatrical experience that is the Umbilical Brothers," New Zealand's Listener magazine said in September 2008.
Their knack for silliness is the same off-stage as it is on. The Umbilical Brothers said the idea behind "THWAK" was "to make people laugh. Other than that, to see the look on people's faces when they see a naked Flubnuckit dancing an all-too-short Irish gig. Don't know what a Flubnuckit is? Come and see. Expand your mind."
Collins and Dundas began performing together in 1991 after winning Australia's "Star Search," according to the Umbilical Brothers' website. Three years later, after touring Australia, performing stand-up comedy and making several TV appearances, they were introduced to their manager Artie Lang.
"It is one of the funniest pieces of physical theatre and comedy that you can see," Lang said. "It ran off-Broadway for almost two years and is the show that has taken them around the world."
The Umbilical Brothers created five stage hits including "THWAK" and have performed on "all the big variety shows in many countries and pretty much every major venue in every major city at some point," Lang said.
The debut performance of "THWAK" was at the Westbeth Theatre in New York in early 1999, and it then migrated to the Minetta Lane Theatre.
Throughout the year, the Umbilical Brothers had a slew of major TV appearances, including the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with David Letterman" and The American Comedy Awards.
According to the Umbilical Brothers' website, a memorable gig of 1999 was a performance at Woodstock '99, where Collins and Dundas performed after R&B legend James Brown.
Lang said his favorite part of "THWAK" does not involve the Umbilical Brothers humor or crazy stunts.
"My favorite part is the relationship the two guys have with each other and the song in the show. The crowds seem to like the end piece where they do their famous routine behind the screen," he said.
The Umbilical Brothers are used to touring the major hot spots of Europe and America, but have never toured Indiana.
"The best part of touring is home cooked meals, which never happen. The worst part is finding a gluten-free meal for the Flubnickit," they said in an e-mail.
Besides touring all over the world, the Umbilical Brothers have also done work with children's television, which included creating "The Upside Down Show," an Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. pilot.
"It was our aim to corrupt the minds of young children all over the world, although we didn't expect the backlash from the religious right and the porn industry," the Umbilical Brothers said in an e-mail.
From stage performances to TV shows, the Umbilical Brothers have done it all.
The Umbilical Brothers will perform at 7:30 p.m. today in Emens Auditorium. Tickets for Ball State students are $5.
For more information, visit http://www.umbilicalbrothers.com/site.
Q&A With the Umbilical Brothers
Q: Have you ever been to Indiana before this tour? What do you like or don't like about Indiana?
A: "Never toured Indiana before. We like those old 1800s dilapidated mansions, makes us want to kill someone. In a good way. And although we have no idea who he is, just the name Steve Alford rubs us the wrong way."
Q: What other projects are you working on at the moment?
A: "There's a romantic comedy strip show we are working up for the Sydney Opera House called ‘Knobfest.' Also we are knee-deep in organized crime in Fort Lauderdale. That's coming along nicely."
Q: What do you both like to do outside of performing?
A: "How dare you. If you ever ask another question like that, we're gonna come over and wax you off."
Q: How does "THWAK" compare to your other shows?
A: "We have four 90-minute shows. It was the first. It's three inches taller than the other shows."
Q: What parts of the show were the hardest to accomplish?
A: "The bagel pirouette was difficult at first, but once we removed the avocado we found it a lot easier."
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