International guest comedians will include festival debutants Hal Cruttenden, Larry Dean, Adam Hess, Sofie Hagen, Lou Sanders, Mae Martin and Penny Arcade, recent visitors returning Joel Dommett, Nish Kumar, Sara Pascoe, Alex Edelman, Luisa Omielan, Urzila Carlson and Tom Green and much loved favourites Rich Hall, David O’Doherty, Arj Barker, Ross Noble and Paul Foot.
A plethora of local Australian performers have also been revealed, including Celia Pacquola, Anthony Morgan, Hannah Gadsby, Judith Lucy, Joel Creasey, Matt Okine, Tommy Little, Frank Woodley, Wil Anderson, Tom Gleeson, Sam Simmons, Peter Helliar, Nazeem Hussain, Ali McGregor, Dave Thornton, Dave Hughes, Steen Raskopoulos, Tom Ballard, Anne Edmonds, Nick Cody, Tripod, Carl Barron, Akmal, Em Rusciano, Lehmo, Lawrence Leung, Adam Richard, Charlie Pickering, Fiona O’Loughlin, Felicity Ward, Lawrence Mooney, Sammy J & Randy, Zoe Coombs Marr and Tripod.
In conjunction with Arts Centre Melbourne, MICF will be presenting a major exhibition taking us from the 1987 launch with Peter Cook and Sir Les Patterson, through backstage, behind the scenes moments and much-loved costumes, to Deadly Funny – the only dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedy program for Australia’s traditional owners – the life and mood of the Festival is captured in an exciting exhibition.
Popular national initiatives also return including RAW Comedy (Australia’s largest and most popular open mic competition), Class Clowns (workshops and comedy competition for teens), Deadly Funny (supporting Indigenous comedy), Upfront Gala (the glamour girls of comedy), Oxfam Gala (sold out), Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow and The Comedy Zone.
