Today’s MICF Daily News Update:
FESTIVAL AWARDS: The festival awards were given out at Jameson Festival Club last night, here are your winners:
The Funny Tonne went to Sarah Trevarthen, who saw the most shows in the last 25 days of the festival.
The Piece of Wood award, awarded by comedians for comedians was given to Eddo herself – Anne Edmonds.
The Director’s Choice award, given by festival director Susan Provan was handed to Matt Okine.
The People’s Choice award, awarded to the show with the most tickets sold was received by Wil Anderson.
The Golden Gibbo, awarded to the festival’s best independently produced show was won by Laura Davis.
The Best Newcomer was awarded to Corey White.
The Barry, awarded to the festival’s best overall show was won by Sam Simmons.
Other award winners from this week include 14-year-old Will McKenna who won Class Clowns, Queensland’s Angus Gordon who won RAW Comedy, and Victoria’s Nina Kirby, who won Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedy competition Deadly Funny.
Congratulations to all award nominees and winners.
SPECIAL EVENTS: The 29th Annual Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Awards Benefit takes place tonight at the Town Hall. Featuring a mystery lineup of the best and biggest up and comers, the show helps fund the Moosehead Awards, giving comedians assistance to put on ambitious shows. Hosted by Luke McGregor, the comedy starts 8pm at the Melbourne Town Hall.
EXTRA SHOWS: A whole bunch of extra editions to close out the festival tonight – see the following bonus shows:
Hannah Gadsby – Donkey. 4.30pm at the Melbourne Town Hall.
Ronny Chieng – You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About. 4.30pm at the Melbourne Town Hall.
Karl Chandler – World’s Greatest (and Best) Comedian. 4.45pm at the Victoria Hotel.
Dilruk Jayasinha – Immigrateful. 7.15pm at ACMI.
Russell Kane – Smallness. 7.30pm at the Melbourne Town Hall.
The Stevenson Experience – Who Dares Twins. 7.30pm at the Melbourne Town Hall.
DAYTIME: Plenty of daytime picks for the final Sunday of MICF:
The Op Shop Tour will bus you around with comedians from 9.30am, outside the Town Hall.
Acclaimed British comic Daniel Kitson brings you Polyphony. Noon at the Northcote Town Hall.
The Exford Hotel hosts two afternoon shows. Ashes: The Comedy Showdown at 1.30pm. The Best of British 3.30pm.
Michael Chamberlin lets you know his Thoughts. 4pm, Imperial Hotel.
Also at 4pm, variety show Love Bites takes place at the Downstairs Lounge at the Grand Mercure Hotel.
Terry North’s Who’s Your Daddy?: The Funny Side of Parenthood has an extra edition. 4.30pm at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow.
Rod Quantock & Fiona Scott-Norman reveal Drivetime with Two Leggy Redheads. 4.30pm at the Famous Spiegeltent.
And another edition of Battle of The Superheroes: The Great Superhero Debate, 5pm at the Joint.
FAMILY: The (very) Big Laugh Out has a big day of family friendly comedy planned for you. See Mathieu Moustache at 11.30am, and The French Waiter at 12.30pm over at the City Square Pitch. Then from 2.30pm head to Federation Square’s main stage for the big show. Hosts Ozstar Airlines will welcome Mathieu Moustache, Trash Test Dummies, Gillian Cosgriff, and Justin Sane. Entry for all is free.
Also on today: Cautionary Tales for Children and the 26-Storey Treehouse. Both of those at Arts Centre Melbourne.
PODCASTS: Four podcasts tape live episodes today:
Steele Saunders Star Wars themed This Isn’t The Podcast You’re Looking For, 2.30pm at Fort Delta.
Live room turned podcast The Shelf turns in a live podcast. 3pm today at the Imperial Hotel.
Also at 3pm, a live recording of The Little Dum Dum Club, over at the Joint.
Great podcast The Dollop records a live episode 8pm at The Joint – that one is sold out right now.
And if you have a ticket to The Little Dum Dum Club – today or one of the last three festival editions, get back to The Joint at 10.15pm for the Little Dum Dum Club drunkcast.
INTERACTIVE: If you want to be part of the festival, Clench’s show Be A Bumlady offers an opportunity to perform. 2pm today at Local Birds on Little Collins St.
SUNDAY SPECIALS: A whole bunch of Sunday only shows today:
Stephen K Amos holds the second edition of his talk show, Talk Show. 4.30pm at the Town Hall.
Over at the Comedy Theatre Denise Scott holds fort with Mother Bare, 4.30pm.
The Comedians of Gabriel Iglesias’ Stand-Up Revolution come to The Comic’s Lounge for one night only. See Martin Moreno, Lance Patrick, and G Reilly – 7pm tonight.
FREE: A couple of great free choices tonight at MICF:
The Westside Comedy Showcase hits Footscray’s Bluestone Church Arts Space. 4pm today.
Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall is bringing his YouTube hit Alasdair Lists Everything to the Tuxedo Cat for a live edition. 6:20pm at the Tuxy front bar.
HOT TICKETS: Plenty of hot tickets for the final night of MICF. These include:
Ronny Chieng – You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About
Damian Cowell – Hara-Karaoke
Kel Balnaves – Start Ya Bastard
Dave Thornton – Spit & Polish
Dilruk Jayasinha – Immigrateful
Matt Okine – The Other Guy
Nina Conti – In Your Face
Tommy Little – Enter The Weapon
Em Rusciano – The Motherload
Ivan Aristeguieta – Permanent Resident
Kitty Flanagan – Seriously?
Nazeem Hussain – Legally Brown
Susie Youssef – Owl Eyes On You
Nick Cody – Beard Game Strong
Russell Kane – Smallness
Steen Raskopoulos – Character Assassin
Wil Sylvince – Syllables, Fat & Celibacy
Corey White – The Cane Toad Effect
Luisa Omielan’s What Would Beyonce Do?!
Joel Creasey – The Hurricane
Karl Chandler – World’s Greatest (and Best) Comedian
Lawrence Mooney – Surely Not
Michael Che
ROADSHOW: The Comedy Festival may be ending but the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow kicks off this week. This Wednesday Bob Franklin, David Quirk and more play the Agora Theatre at Bundoora’s La Trobe University; while in the Far North Queensland town of Charters Towers it comes to The World Theatre. A full list of all MICF Roadshow dates can be found at the festival website.
OTHER COMEDY: Plenty of other comedy continues beyond the festival, including rooms and shows like Comedy at Spleen, Open Mic Comedy at the Imperial, Portland Hotel Comedy, and Crab Lab. Make sure to check out beat.com.au for full comedy listings throughout the year.
And a last-minute reminder, most shows start an hour earlier on Sunday’s. Double check your tickets before heading off to the festival.
