Glancing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival program, it seems that patrons are truly spoiled for choice this season. “It is bigger than last year,” confirms Festival Director/CEO, Susan Provan. “It’s roughly ten percent bigger. We’ve got around 620 shows, with a few lost and a few added since the program came out.”
“People love to report, ‘new, bigger, better’ every year, but in fact what’s important for us is to try to make it as sustainable as possible for the people who participate,” Provan explains. “The program grows organically but we work to just try and make sure audiences grow alongside that.”
Nevertheless, this year’s program is a veritable smorgasbord of comedy treats. More than ever, there’s something for everyone. It’s testament to a thriving local scene, with all manner of performers eager to put themselves out there and put on a show. “(The festival) is entirely open, so what winds up in the program is a consequence of what’s going on in the world of comedy,” Provan says.
Of course, the sheer diversity of the 2018 lineup is, in part, due to the efforts of Provan and fellow powers-that-be. “We do work quite hard at the diversity aspect by promoting programs that give all kinds of people an opportunity to find a gateway into comedy and into the festival, with things like Raw Comedy, Class Clowns and Deadly Funny – which is our big Indigenous workshop program and performance program – as well as various talks and things.
“Encouraging that and making the festival and performing in comedy feel accessible to as wide a range of people as possible is something that we do work quite hard at.”
Provan recognises the importance of growing comedy at a grassroots level, so to speak. “In terms of Raw Comedy, I read something Hannah Gadsby said in an article that I was quite chuffed about, because it encapsulated why we do it – that if it hadn’t been for Raw Comedy, she probably wouldn’t have gotten into comedy.
“With Class Clowns and Deadly Funny in particular, we’re very deliberately creating environments for particular age groups and for Indigenous Australians so that people feel comfortable about a way in,” Provan says. “There are mentors and workshop teachers and people there who can help them develop their craft to a point where they do feel more comfortable engaging with the mainstream and what’s available, be it open mic or cabaret circuit or whatever. They’re given the tools, if you like.”
Ultimately, behind-the-scenes support offered to performers ensures each season is the best it can possibly be. Essentially, the festival looks after its own, from headliners to open micers. “There are a number of people that do have the support of management agencies or manager-producers to help them but there are also a lot of young performers who are doing their first festival and doing it on their own, with the help of friends and risking their next six months rent,” Provan says. “It’s for those people more that we do try and have those early workshops in budgeting and marketing and PR to at least provide a bit of a guide.”
Whether you’re a performer or a patron, it’s always an exciting time to be in the city when the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is in full swing. Its effect is palpable. “I think it definitely has an incredibly positive economic impact because you look around and bars and cafes are full,” Provan says.
“The streets are heaving, there are all these venues full and I just think that’s an amazing thing for a city and a state to be able to have.
“There’s a real sense of community around the comedy festival which is, I think, because it was something that was created by and for a local community. It grew out of a local community, so there’s always been this very strong sense of ownership, particularly on the part of the people of Melbourne. This is our festival.”
