The Sydney Comedy Festival is in full swing, and Lily Hensby has brought back her I, Julia show to commemorate the occasion. Hensby has performed the show a number of times already, but the Enmore Loft was this iteration’s venue, with Hensby placing a chair at the front of the stage waiting for her idol, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, to attend.

I must admit that I am probably not the target audience for this show, having never seen Veep or Seinfeld, and not knowing much about Julia Louis-Dreyfus at all. But it was clear when Hensby did her impersonation that she had it absolutely nailed, judging by the laughter in the room.

Hensby interacted with the audience quite a lot, explaining her love for Louis-Dreyfus while also getting many audience members up on stage as part of her act, which made the whole crowd laugh and stay engaged. It was clear that Hensby had natural comedic timing and a penchant for audience engagement which is so important for comedy.

Obviously, this was a show very much targeted towards fans of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with not a huge amount for those who were not fans of the actor or familiar with her work. But Hensby still made sure to keep it engaging as there were some other funny moments in the show, including Hensby attempting an Elaine dance sequence. Ultimately, it felt like the show was perhaps just a little too niche and focused around the premise of Louis-Dreyfus eventually walking into the show, which did make it feel a little repetitive at times. 

That said, overall, this was an interesting show, and Hensby is clearly a talented comedian with a lot of promise. With a slightly broader subject matter, I am sure that Lily Hensby will be a name that we continue to hear in comedy circles. 

Lily Hensby – I, Julia – Enmore Loft – 30 April 2026