Why settle for Good Friday when you could make it a Great Friday? There’s plenty going on at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival during the day and all throughout the evening. It’s also long weekend, which is your cue to go show-crazy and see as much as possible. Of course, MICF Daily is happy to help out with some recommendations. Have a bit of a scroll down and see what’s happening today, Friday March 25.
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1. Hayley Brennan – When Hayley Met Salad
You don’t make friends with salad… until you do. Comedian Hayley Brennan recently – and reluctantly – embarked on a lifestyle change thanks to her sister, a renowned personal trainer. She’s hoping to share some of her wisdom, Tue-Sun 8.30pm at the Downstairs Lounge, located at The Grand Mercure Hotel. This could be the weird vicarious intervention you never knew you needed, combined with all the hilarity you could hope for. When Hayley Met Salad runs until April 3rd, so don’t delay.
2. Matt Okine
It’s fair to say that 2015 ended up being a big year for triple j Breakfast host Matt Okine, the celebrated comic scooping the 2015 ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release, as well as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Director’s Choice award. Basically, he’s a big deal and people are beginning to realise it. That’s your cue to grab tickets ASAP. He’s playing the Melbourne Town Hall Tue-Sat 7pm and Sun 6pm, until April 17.
3. Al Murray – The Pub Landlord The (British) Empire Strikes Back
Anyone lucky enough to see Al Murray’s spot at Spleen this past week knows that he’s quite the character. Quite literally, he’s a comedy character – and one played to perfection. Murray presents an exuberant, larger-than-life, stage-comedy manifestation of a British lad – fittingly, the kind you would want to sink a few drinks with. He exudes a rare charisma and can develop a rapport with his audience in a snap. If you’re not into audience participation – or, at least, basic repartee with performers – you may want to give Murray a miss, but know this: you’ll only be missing out. After all, this is top-notch stand-up comedy. Al Murray plays the Forum Theatre Tue-Sat 9.45pm until April 3rd.
4. Tim Vine – Tim Timinee Tim Timinee Tim Tim To You
A renowned ‘punslinger’ and a fine purveyor of quickfire comedy, Tim Vine will likely have you holding your sides. No, seriously: he lays claim to a Guinness World Record for 499 jokes told in an hour. This is the kind of show where you’ll need every opportunity to catch your breath, because Vine is utterly relentless. He was particularly impressive at the Opening Night Comedy Allstars Show and looks to be great form, so be sure to treat yourself to his top-notch joke-telling and dazzling wordplay at the Victoria Hotel, Tue-Sat 7pm and Sun 6pm.
5. Karl Chandler Defends His Title as World’s Greatest and Best Comedian
It takes a lot of courage to get up on stage and tell jokes. It certainly doesn’t need to be anymore difficult than it already is… right? Well, Karl Chandler (The Little Dum Dum Club) never got the memo. He’s taking things to the extreme in his new show: every evening, a different comedian will join the audience, with the option to heckle and interject at their own discretion. Does it have the makings of a trainwreck? Possibly. Will it be entertaining? Definitely. If Chandler gets to the end of this festival with his ego in tact, he’ll have certainly earned his title as “World’s Greatest and Best Comedian”. Catch him Vic Hotel (Tue-Sat 9.45pm, Sun 8.45pm) and the Melbourne Town Hall (Mon 6.30pm)
Not only is Harley Breen an exceptionally talented comedian, many believe that as an MC, he’s among the very best. This festival season he is taking on the mantle of ‘Bar Keep’, hosting a late-night comedy showcase at the Imperial Hotel. Breen has recruited music-comedy duo Elbowskin as the houseband and will host a variety of special guest ‘Bar Flies’ every night. This is a show beer-lovers will not want to miss, each evening featuring limited edition brews from guest brewers. With Easter in full swing, the timing for this sort of show is officially perfect. That’s The Drink Talking is hosted at the Imperial Hotel, Thu-Sat 11:15pm.
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Felicity Ward has been a stranger to the local comedy scene of late, having disappeared from the spotlight almost completely. It’s not been for nothing, though: she’s been strutting her stuff on the UK circuit. She has just returned to Australia for a huge season of her new show, What If There Is No Toilet? Firstly, let’s just acknowledge that this is a question that haunts us all at one point or another. Secondly, this show is set to be a hilarious must-see affair if Ward’s Opening Night spot is anything to go by. Felicity Ward is playing ACMI, Tue-Sat 8.30pm and Sun 7.30pm. If you log onto Halftix now, you’ll be able to score some super-cheap Good Friday tickets.
Beat Magazine has been a huge fan of Rama Nicholas in recent years, so it’s no big shock that her new show – Mary Weather’s Monsters, a new one-woman gothic adventure – also earns glowing recommendation. Nicholas is a 2014 Moosehead Award Recipient and a 2014 Golden Gibbo Award nominee, her shows blending storytelling, songs and character comedy with brilliant creative flair. Anyone who has enjoyed Nicholas’ previous shows will take to Mary Weather’s Monsters, while newbies will be instantly charmed. Catch Nicholas at Trades Hall, Tue-Sat 8.30pm and Sun 7.30pm. Halftix are currently running ridiculously inexpensive special prices for this show, so get in while you can.
