Last year, I felt a little betrayed by Lou Wall. Their 2024 show, The Bisexual’s Lament at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival sat in my top 5 shows of that year. Then, in 2025, their show Breaking the Fifth Wall revealed it was a total lie. I didn’t know what to think, but I applauded the effort to pull off such a long-con. So, in 2026, I wasn’t sure how to approach Lou Wall’s new show. Would I feel the same sense of betrayal again? The answer is ‘no’ and their new show, Where Are All the Tall Grandmas? is damn good!
Set on a question that I never thought I would ever hear asked, Where Are All the Tall Grandmas? I was intrigued because, well, “Where are they?” Has anyone seen a nonna taller than 6ft? I never have! And Lou Wall, being a tall human themselves, set out on a mission to solve the mystery.
I entered the venue being transported to a nan’s living room. A classic old timey single seater couch sat in place on the right side of stage with a coffee table and lamp alongside, bringing the grandma vibe to life. Opening with a monologue as the audience sat in darkness, Lou Wall talks of their childhood and how great they were at Hide’n’Seek. With nobody on stage, I began to wonder where on earth they were. Then, they appear in the most unlikely of places, one that I will keep a secret for you to experience yourself.
After this hilarious start to the show, we got down to business to find out where all the tall grandmas are at. And in classic Lou Wall style, it kicked off with a song asking that very question, ‘Where the fuck are all the tall Grandmas?’. Are they hiding? Did they shrink? Are they all dead? All the important questions.
This topic sparked a deep dive into the, I guess, lore of tall grandmas or lack there off. Including calling IKEA to ask who stacks the tall shelves in their warehouse, complete with a phone call to their customer service centre that is played back to the audience.
Lou also investigates Australian Bureau of Statistics data that lead to some troubling facts about body mass data points and the disparity between metrics collected for Men vs Women. Lou even ventures out into the community, interviewing people at their local IGA and RSL, complete with video footage displayed to the audience with hilarious results. Or, I guess technically, no results?
This new show is very funny and a lovely step away from the betrayal of their previous show. I was intrigued and needed answers. And whilst the answer may never be solved, there is one real world reason that might explain why, in this generation, there are no tall grandmas to be seen. I’ll leave the actual reason why for you to discover yourself but let’s just say “Government Medical Intervention” and leave it at that.
The closure of this new one-hour show will pull on your heart strings. Lou writes themselves a letter to open in the future and ‘promised’ not to open it until they were ‘a grandma’. But because Lou Wall is a self-confessed neurodivergent individual, their ADHD couldn’t resist and opened the letter to read aloud to the Melbourne festival audience with wholesome results.
Lou Wall, you have redeemed yourself and any past indiscretions of betrayal have been forgiven. Where Are All The Tall Grandmas? is a wonderful show, filled with hilarious musical numbers, investigative journalism and wholesomeness that will leave you feeling inquisitive. I still want to know where they all are! But I guess, it will be a long time before we discover if Lou Wall themselves ages into a tall grandma or not. Only then will we truly find the answer to this question.
With music by Nick Batley and Lou Wall and set/props by Seamus Quinn, Where Are All The Tall Grandmas? is currently playing as part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival at the Malthouse Theatre – Beckett Theatre until the April 19th. Lou Wall will also be touring this show nationally and in New Zealand.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/where-are-all-the-tall-grandmas
https://comedy.com.au/tour/lou-wall
https://www.instagram.com/thelouwall
Photography supplied.