A mockumentary about a plumber set a new benchmark for the genre – and gave Australian comedy an unlikely new hero
When audiences first met Kenny in 2006 - a plumber at a portable toilet rental firm – it became clear that Australian mockumentaries had a new hero. Shane Jacobson gives an irresistibly endearing spirit to the affable, overall-clad expert on all things lavatorial, in a film that became both critics’ favourite and a sleeper box office hit.
Kenny set a new benchmark for the mockumentary, at least as far as locally produced comedies were concerned. In addition to a tight sense of verisimilitude (performances from a straight-faced cast are wonderfully authentic) several key segments were staged at real-life events, including the Melbourne Cup and a the industry’s biggest event, the Pumper and Cleaner Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, dubbed “Poo HQ” by Kenny.
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