MICF UPDATES
Many artists begin their seasons tonight, including Adam Richard, Alice Tovey, Akmal, Arcade Arcade, The Axis of Awesome, Ben Lomas, Brendon Green, Martin Dunlop, Radio Variety Hour (Lauren Bok, Sam Marzden & Bert Goldsmith), The Lioness and Liam Ryan. Meanwhile, the American stand-up comedy showcase Headliners presents a new line-up, with Ian Edwards, Daniel Koren, Mark Normand, and Sara Schaefer on the bill until the end of the festival.
The Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow aired last night. If you tuned in and happened to like what you saw, good news: the festival has posted a list of every act that featured throughout the show, with information on where to see them this festival. The less good news is that some acts have already wrapped up their seasons (eg. Bridget Everett) but plenty of others are hanging around until the end of the festival. Check out the list and book tickets ASAP.
MICF SELL-OUTS
As expected, the weekend saw an emphatic spike in ticket sales, with this past Saturday and Sunday the busiest days of the festival so far. Numerous artists enjoyed playing to packed houses, red sold-out labels adorning the Melbourne Town Hall chalkboard. Weighing up whether or not you need to book in advance? Based on the weekend, here’s a selection of the hottest tickets in town:
Damien Power – Sell Mum Into Slavery
Frank Woodley – Extra Ordinary
Zoe Coombs Marr – Trigger Warning
MICF ENTREES (Early Shows, until 7pm)
Rose Callaghan – Rose Before Hoes
You’d know her from triple j, Nova and the ABC, and now Rose Callaghan is embarking upon her debut solo stand-up show. Expect everything from sex stories to obscure hip-hop references. Given that the Melbourne comedy scene is forever thriving, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. The fact that Callaghan has managed to do just that speaks volumes. Her season kicks off tonight at The Forum and you can catch her Tue-Sat 6pm and Sun 5pm.
3 States of Comedy: Reinstated
Described as a “unique battle in a comedy environment”, this show pits Geoff Setty (WA), Becky Steepe (QLD) and Danny Stinson (VIC) against one another for the sake of entertainment. The show serves up exactly the kind of variety you would hope for, each performer bringing their own particular schtick to the table. Will Geoff Setty retain his title in this state-of-origin battle for supremacy? There’s only one way to find out. Head to the Downstairs Lounge at the Grand Mercure Hotel, Tue-Sun 6pm.
MICF MAIN MEALS (Prime Time, 7pm-10pm)
At this point, Arj Barker is an honorary Australian. He spends so much time here that he knows our culture inside-out. If you’re wondering why that’s worth mentioning, consider this: part of a comedian’s job is being able to relate to their audience. Arj Barker absolutely has that covered. More to the point, he’s also terrifically funny. Barker only has a few shows left, playing The Palais Theatre tonight, as well as Fridays and Saturdays 7pm.
Recognise recent Token Artists’ signing, Dilruk Jayasinha? Once you’ve seen the poster for his new show Sri Wanka, he’s tough to miss. “It is quite a confronting photo of me without a shirt, in a pool and I’m a very big dude,” he explained to Beat Magazine. “One of the responses I got from someone when I handed them a flyer with the picture was, ‘It looks like a sumo wrestler.’ Not even ‘he’, not even ‘you’ – it looks like a sumo wrestler. Great! But I think it’s funny. It grabs attention, that’s for sure.” Jayasinha enjoyed a sold-out season at last year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival and this new show is even bigger and better. In fact, Sri Wanka is arguably some of the finest stand-up comedy on offer this festival. Catch Dilruk Jayasinha at the Victoria Hotel, Tue-Sat 8.30pm and Sun 7.30pm.
Returning for their third consecutive festival season, Korean comedy troupe ONGALS channel childlike mischief, presenting an exhilarating mix of magic, slapstick and circus shenanigans. Praised as “equal parts hilarious and inventive” by Beat Magazine, Babbling Comedy is an all-ages spectacular with “word-of-mouth hit” written all over it. Don’t make the same mistake three years in a row: get out to The Famous Spiegeltent and be wowed and amazed by four gifted comic performers. ONGALS’ season begins tonight, running Tue-Sat 7pm and Sun 6pm until April 17.
MICF DESSERTS (Late Shows, 10pm onwards)
Aborigi-LOL 100% Aussie Laughs
Aborigi-LOL presents a late-night stand-up comedy showcase with a cultural twist. Deadly Funny graduates Dane Simpson, Karen Edwards and Josh Warrior are advertised as “more fun than a kangaroo on a trampoline” – which is, in itself a money idea. If you’ve never treated yourself to some Indigenous stand-up, here’s your opportunity. Aborigi-LOL kicks off at the Downstairs Lounge at the Grand Mercure Hotel, Tue-Sun 10:15pm.
Set List, the late night festival favourite, returns from tonight. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Set List revolves around impromptu sink-or-swim riffs on random topics, your favourite comedians forced make things up as they go along. Sometimes they produce comedy gold, other times they stumble – either way, it’s hilarious. Boasting sold out shows in Edinburgh, Montreal and London, there’s never been a better time to find out why Set List has become an international comedy addiction for comics and crowds alike. Tonight’s line-up features MC Susie Youssef, Gordon Southern, Daniel Sloss, Felicity Ward, El Jaguar and Danny O’Brien. Catch Set List at the Roxanne, Tue & Thu-Sat 11pm and Sun 10pm, as well as a special Melbourne Town Hall show on Mon 9.45pm.
MICF SPECIALS (One-Offs and Discounts)
Tonight at The Festival Club, a bunch of the festival’s best comedians will be performing live for an ABC1 television special, Comedy Up Late. This evening’s line-up features MC Nath Valvo, Matt Ford, Ian Edwards (USA), Sara Schaefer (USA), Tom Ballard, Harley Breen, Luisa Omielan (UK), Adam Hess (UK) and Axis of Awesome. It’s all happening at Max Watt’s with doors at 11:15pm.
Looking for cheap laughs this festival? Melbourne’s City Square and Federation Square are once again hosting family-friendly entertainment, shining a spotlight on some of the world’s very best street performers through The (Very) Big Laugh Out. This year’s diverse program kicks off Good Friday, featuring special guest artists Pol & Freddy Le Cirque Democratique De La Belgique (Belgium), Dino Lampa (Italy), Lords of Strut (Ireland) and Carnage Productions Swat (France). They’ll be joined by a formidable roster of local and international artists, including Trash Test Dummies, Anna Pocket Rocket, Tessa Waters, Peter & Bambi Heaven, Eloise Green, The Hula Queen and ONGALS (South Korea). The (Very) Big Laugh out offers everything from comedy to circus and, best of all, it’s free. Check it out until 17 April.
