Today on MICF Daily, Mike has a chat with comedian David Quirk about his show Shaking Hands with Danger. See Quirk’s show tonight at 9.45pm or 11pm and 8.45pm tomorrow night at the Town Hall. Get your tickets from Ticketmaster.
Today’s MICF Daily News:
SPECIAL EVENT: Have you wanted to know what goes into being a working comedian? Two panel discussions take place today at the Arts Centre. Jeez Louise brings together festival staff industry insiders, and working comedians to talk about all things comedy. At 3pm today, Backstage Pass will talk about the nuts and bolts of being a working comedian. At 5pm, The Big Picture asks – is comedy a subjective art form? Entry to both shows is free. Check the Comedy Festival website for full details on speakers and times.
PODCASTS: Two podcasts tape live episodes today at the festival. I Love Green Guide Letters with special guests Wil Anderson, Sam Simmons, and a special secret guest, 4.15pm today at the Town Hall. Also taping a live episode is Open Mic Life, the Melbourne comedy podcast with Mark Conway, The Nelson Twins, and Greg Fleet. The taping starts from 5.30pm at the Sahara Restaurant & Bar on Swanston St.
WALKING TOURS: Is 2013 the year of the comedy walking tour? A crazy five walking tours take place today at the festival. Rod Quantock gets the tours going at 11am and 1pm today with his Fourth Annual Mystery Comedy Walking Tour – meet under the Portico at the Melbourne Town Hall. Tickets are on sale for the event from Ticketmaster – no tickets will be sold at the Meeting Point. But if you want to review the year 2013 (despite it only being April), Xavier Toby and Micah D Higbed lead their walking tour 2013 – When We Were Idiots at 2pm and 6pm. Meet at the Bourke & Willis Statue in the City, tickets from TryBooking and by the statue. And Ged and Jamie get the laughs going on This is History… Melbourne: A Walking Tour – Involving Walking… A Questionable History of The History of Melbourne. The tour departs 7.30pm, from the Exford Hotel, get your tickets from the venue.
KIDS COMEDY: Want to take the kids to experience the comedy festival? The (Very) Big Laugh Out is on today, and better yet it’s totally free. Today at the City Square, Arizona Jones will feature at 11.30pm, with Hacki and Moppi out in the elements at 12.30pm. Then at 2pm, a mini-gala of family comedy takes place at Federation Square, featuring Tom Flanagan, Rani Huszar, Hacki and Moppi, and Three High Acrobatics. Other family shows on today include Glenn Elston, and Huggers: Family Friendly Comedy & Cabaret. For a full list of all family friendly comedy on today at the fest, check out the Comedy Festival website.
DAYTIME SPECIALS: Saturday contains plenty more daytime specials, so skip the footy and head out to the festival. For those early risers, a Comedy Op Shop tour starts at 9.30am today. Meet at the corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, tickets from TryBooking. Daniel Kitson presents his sold out Work in Progress, 11am at the Tuxedo Cat. Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience returns to The Aegean Restaurant at 1pm. Australian and English comics go to war at Ashes: The Comedy Showdown, 1.30pm today at the Exford. Matthew Grant presents his art installation and character piece Me, Me, Me and Me. 2pm at Kado in Richmond. At 3pm, 80s TV series adds the tunes with GP The Musical taking place at Gasworks Arts Park. Another edition of The Best of British showcase, 3.30pm at the Exford. And wrapping things up at 5.30pm today, FanFiction Comedy returns to the Victoria Hotel.
AWARDS: Tonight Festival Club’s Comedy Bonanza becomes the Festival Awards! Following comedy from a selection of the festival’s finest acts; the following awards will be given out:
– The Barry, awarded for the festival’s best show has nominated Hannah Gadsby, Max and Ivan, Michael Workman, Rich Hall, Trevor Noah, Kitty Flanagan and The New Conway Tonight Show
– The Golden Gibbo is awarded for the festival’s finest local independent shows, and this year the nominees are Standard Double, Simon Keck, Slutmonster & Friends, The Writers and Tommy Bradson.
– The Melbourne Airport Best Newcomer Award is awarded to the best act first-time performer at the festival, or best new format for a first-time performer. The nominees are: Luke McGregor, Damien Power, Dayne Rathbone and Steen Raskopoulos.
– The winners for these, along with the Piece of Wood, Director’s Choice, and Funny Tonne award winners will be announced tonight at The Hi-Fi Bar, from 11.15pm. We will have the full results on tomorrow’s edition of MICF Daily.
Also on late tonight: The After Party, The New Conway Tonight Show, Facty Fact, Stand-Up Sit Down: Comics in Conversation, Capital Punishment, Shaggers, and the second last edition of Ali McGregor‘s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night. For information on all late night shows, check the festival’s website.
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