Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Anthony Locascio compares Melbourne and Sydney residents ahead of his Heart of Darkness tour

Sydney-based comedian Anthony Locascio is about to head out on his Heart of Darkness tour for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney and Perth Comedy Festivals. Kicking off today at Belgian Beer Café in Melbourne, the tour will stay until 22 April before moving to Factory Theatre Fusebox in Sydney from 3-7 May and…

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James Roque

James Roque to bring his Badong show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is just around the corner, and one of the acts we are particularly looking forward to is the Filipino-New Zealander comedian James Roque. James is bringing his much-revered Badong show to the festival, and will be performing it from the 28th March until the 9th April. ‘Badong’ is a light-hearted…

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Ben Stevenson shares five tips for planning a funeral ahead of Ratbag

Coffs Harbour comedian Ben Stevenson is coping with grief in the best way that he knows how: through comedy. Using his wit as an outlet for the emotions surrounding the loss of his mother, Stevenson created Ratbag – a stand-up routine combining the darkest point in his life with uplifting stories from his childhood. The…

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Circus Review: The Dumtectives in Cirque Noir is a dazzling blend of acrobatics, slapstick and adult comedy

A perfectly stupendous amount of ‘Dum’! The critically acclaimed and globally touring Australian circus company, Dummies Corp, lights up the stage at The Famous Spiegeltent in Melbourne with their first adult-themed circus comedy – The Dumtectives in Cirque Noir. As part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this show blasts you into a world of…

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9 shows not to miss at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is bringing the best comedians from around the world to Melbourne from 28 March to 22 April,  just for your laughing pleasure and without the inconvenience of having to calculate your duty free allowance. With a couple of weeks until the festival kicks off, we’ve wrapped up nine shows guaranteed…

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Hannah Gadsby wins the 2017 Barry Award with her show Nanette

Hannah Gadsby has taken out the 2017 Barry Award for Best Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Gadsby won with her show Nanette – a self described swan song. The award was announced during the traditional late-night ceremony at The Festival Club, and saw Gadsby edging out fellow nominees Damien Power, Anne Edmonds, Tom…

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Perri Cassie on his 2017 MICF show, Channel Perri, and his comedy heroes

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has brought together a wide array of comedians and performers for another year, bringing a stack of world class shows through to the city until April 23rd. The comedy festival in Melbourne has also proven hugely fruitful for Aussie comedians marking their mark as emerging talent – one such talent…

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MICF Review: Becky Lucas’ Little Bitch is a amusing tale of attitudinal whimsy (performances until April 23rd)

Heading to the bottom of The Victoria Hotel is a somewhat weird experience. You’re in this dark room, with all kinds of spookiness looking to burst out of you. But really all that bursts out is delightful Becky Lucas with a charm and wit that lights up the room. Lucas captures people’s attention for her…

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MICF Review: Alice Fraser’s Empire is amusing, but dense (performances until April 23rd)

There’s potential for the material in Alice Fraser’s Empire tone the basis of many inspirational talking engagements (she’s actually done a TED talk, so maybe she’s already there), but a show that gives us depth and meaning weren’t so much funny but reflective. Fraser doesn’t shy away from the tricky and the thoughtful. Starting on…

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MICF Review: 3 Course Comedy is a foodies paradise (Performances until April 22nd)

There’s nothing quite like enjoying a late night comedy show on a weeknight and strolling the streets of Melbourne with fellow comedy goers. 3 Course Comedy enticed me by their title first and foremost, mostly because I’m a foodie and I love a good degustation. Plus, why not support up and coming comedians! Each night the line-up changes…

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MICF Review: Nick Cody’s On Fire is all tough and sensitive at the same time (performances until April 23rd)

There’s a brashness with Nick Cody. He seems like the friendliest person that you could meet your friend’s BBQ and just chat to about all manner of things. But at the other end, he seems like someone who could evaporate you with a flick of his pointy finger if you piss him off. This was…

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MICF Review: Guy Montgomery’s Let’s All Get In A Room Together is a fun, goofy bit of storytelling (performances until 23rd April)

Guy Montgomery has this interestingly crescendo-like style of stand-up in Let’s All Get In A Room Together. It’s certainly a set full of happiness and goofiness, free from any political doom and gloom that many other comedy shows are focusing on this festival, but he can certainly be set to go on a really good story which rises to…

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MICF Review: Grant Busé’s The Birds and the Beats is lovingly fair (performances until April 23rd)

SEX! Now that I’ve got your attention – imagine a darkened room, an empty stage, when suddenly a 27-year-old, self-described as the love child of Kurt Cobain and the Paddle Pop Lion, demonstrates his conception and birth using various props and an amply-placed curtain. The man is Grant Busé and it’s the intro into his…

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MICF Review: Rhys Nicholson’s I’m Fine is flamboyantly astute (performances until April 23rd)

With a characteristically flamboyant style, Rhys Nicholson could be the best-dressed-in-show for the whole of the comedy festival. He has a theatrical sensibility to him, and subsequently can be the most melodramatic-in-show for the damn festival as well. As a result, Nicholson doesn’t keep a slow pace through his hour dubbed I’m Fine. Which is…

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MICF Review: Puppetry of the Penis is as quirky as one can be… down there (performances until 9th April)

It was just like any other Sunday evening as I sat in the audience of the Palms theatre at Melbourne’s Crown Casino. However, on this particular evening, two men were about to walk onstage, throw off their cloaks, and perform for a paying audience the ‘ancient art of genital origami.’ For those a bit slow…

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MICF Review: DeAnne Smith’s Post-Joke Era targets everyone, even herself (performances until April 23rd)

DeAnne Smith loves to poke fun. She pokes fun subtly. She pokes fun with as much full-on intensity too and there’s a bit of intriguing wit in there as well while we are at it. The title of her show, Post-Joke Era is a simple phrase which kind of encapsulates what is all shitty with society….

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MICF Review: Aunty Donna’s Big Boys is some damn good sketch (performances until April 23rd)

What can be said about an Aunty Donna show that is negative? Nothing much really. The troupe are truly at the top of their game after years and years of sketch shows and Youtube antics and they do it without any grand pomp or ceremony. The comedy from Zack, Mark and Broden genuinely glow on…

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The Comedy Zone’s Tom Cashman picks his Top 5 Shows of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF)

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has hundreds of performers and shows worth seeing – that’s the most obvious statement of the most obvious of obvious-towns. There are a huge amount of great showcases throughout the festival too – one of them being The Comedy Zone, a showcase of fresh and amazing comedic talent from around…

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MICF Review: Josie Long’s Something Better is politically charged, but delightfully so (performances until April 23rd)

Walking into Josie Long’s show was a strange experience. Thinking that I was late, Long was singing and doing her funky moves while singing into the microphone. It’s certainly a different way to start a show, and I liked it. I’d not like to have the heart attack thinking I was late though next time…

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MICF Review: Matt Okine: We Made You (Performances until April 2nd)

Triple J Breakfast just isn’t the same without the dream team Matt and Alex. I really miss listening to their friendly banter and views on certain issues that overwhelm our society, so it was a no-brainer to head along to Matt Okine‘s one-man show and have a good ol’ catch up. Okine’s style of comedy is really…

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MICF Review: Andy Zaltzman: Plan Z (performances until April 23rd)

Andy Zaltzman is a comedian who I knew little about prior to me seeing him. Weirdly, I knew him as the brother of Helen Zaltzman, a host on the very funny Answer Me This! podcast. But it was only when he was announced that I found out that he co-hosted a pretty hilarious podcast of his…

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MICF Review: Joel Creasey: Poser (Performances until April 23rd)

I am no stranger to the man that is Joel Creasey and with a career as successful as his, you’re a downright nuffy if you haven’t heard of him! I saw his show at last year’s MICF and looooved it, but there is something about this year’s that is a whole other level. Yes, Creasey will…

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MICF Review: Cath Styles in Girl’s Night (Performances until April 9th)

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned girl’s night out, so when this show came onto my radar I had to rally up my bestie and make a night of it. The idea of this show is that each night, three different female comedians will take to the stage with Cath Styles as the MC. Now,…

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The Comedy Zone’s Tim Hewitt picks his Top 5 Shows of MICF

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has hundreds of performers and shows worth seeing – that’s the most obvious statement of the most obvious of obvious-towns. There are a huge amount of great showcases throughout the festival too – one of them being The Comedy Zone, a showcase of fresh and amazing comedic talent from around  Australia. We decided…

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MICF Review: Why you HAVE to see Trainspotting Live (Performances in Melbourne until April 13)

This will be the best night out at the theatre you will ever experience. But be warned; no one is safe. If you’re not into audience participation then this show probably isn’t for you but I’m telling you now if you miss this show you will be sorry. Fresh from sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival…

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5 risqué acts to see at the 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

There’s all manner of comedy at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, from theatre, to stand up to improv. We have already put together a bunch of great shows you go and see already. Some people like to go all out and either shock, deal with subjects that push the edge, or simply provide thought-provoking stuff…

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Top 5 Aussie and Top 5 International Acts to see at the 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Oh yes, people! It’s that time of year again where Melbourne becomes a haven for the utterly hilarious and outrageous. We thought we’d help you out with five Aussie and international acts to see at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The programme is a cracking one but here’s our input to help make your decision…

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Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017 – What we know!

The MICF is set to take over Australia’s comedy capital from Wednesday, March 29th until Sunday, April 23rd. Here’s what we know so far! The Gala Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow will be hosted by none other than Wil Anderson. The 28th annual Great Debate takes over the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday April 15, as six…

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Anna Lumb (Melbourne) talks Spiegel Rock, 50ft women and going back to the future

An artist who has performed in a castle in Poland, an orphanage in the Angolan jungle, and a field in Malaysia, Anna Lumb is no stranger to the surreal. Lumb’s unique blend of theatre, circus and physical comedy has taken her to some of the world’s farthest corners. Ahead of her hometown appearance at Melba…

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Matilda leads the way with 13 Helpmann nominations

The nominees for the 16th Annual Helpmann Awards were announced this week and one production has already surged ahead – Matilda. The musical has garnered a staggering 13 nominations, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. The Roald Dahl adaptation earned nods in each of the Musical specific categories as well as getting recognition in…

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