Today on the show, host Mike Brown has a chat to Neil Sinclair about the hardness of London, learning to lie, and the facts of being a phoney. Neil’s show Phoney is on tonight and every night (except Saturdays) at 8pm, at the Imperial Hotel through to Sunday April 21. Get your tickets from TryBooking.
Today’s MICF Daily News:
– REVIEW WRAP: Melanie Sheridan of Beat Magazine has understood the fuss about The Pajama Men, Tamara Vogl has declared Hannah Gadsby one not to be missed, and Tess Woodward has announced this year’s Comedy Zone cast to be impeccable. In The Herald Sun, four and a half stars have been awarded to John Conway and his New Conway Tonight Show, Danye Rathbone, and Political Asylum; with four stars given to Facty Fact and The World’s Problem’s Solved. The Age has given four stars to previous MICF Daily guests Slutmonster & Friends in addition to The Pajama Men, and comedy website Squirrel Comedy have recommended Asher Treleaven, Set List, and Sam Simmons.
The RAW Comedy Grand Final lineup is 100% locked and ready to go this Sunday. The festival ran contest is a nationwide search to find Australia’s funniest new comedians, which was won by this year’s Moosehead recipient Lessons with Luis. Joining state final winners Cameron Duggan (Queensland), Aaron Chen (New South Wales), Jay Morrissey (Victoria), Demi Lardner (South Australia), Chris Menzies (Tasmania), Justin Crooks (Northern Territory), Tim Noon (Australian Capital Territory), and Sean Conway (Western Australia) will be fellow Western Australian Colin Ebsworth, Queensland’s Becky Lewis, and Victorian comics Andy Matthews and Megan McKay. Also just announced will be a feature set from Celia Pacquola, in addition to special guest Neeti Palta – the winner of RAW Comedy India. Matt Okine will host. The event takes place this Sunday, 5pm at the Town Hall. Limited tickets remain at Ticketmaster.
– Old Man Ape is back! The Tuxedo Cat has returned an off-festival favourite for the 2013, following a sell out at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. A Young Man Dressed As A Gorilla Dressed As An Old Man Sits Rocking In A Rocking Chair For Fifty-Six Minutes And Then Leaves, While On The Other Side Of The Planet Another Young Man Dressed As A Gorilla Dressed As An Old Man Sits Rocking In A Rocking Chair For Fifty-Six Minutes And Then Leaves returns this Saturday night, 12.30am to 1.26am at the Tuxedo Cat, 17-23 Wills St in the City.
writer Nick Taras is on track to break the record of most shows scene during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Taras is a Funny Tonner – an elite member of the public equipped with a participant pass and will to see as many comedy festival shows as he can handle. Taras has penned a piece for Beat – “The Funny Tonne: Some Shitty Thoughts After Seeing 76 Shows So Far” about his experiences.
– VARIETY SHOWS: New to the Comedy Festival and not sure where to start? Why not try one of the many variety shows on this evening? Comedy Pick ‘n Mix is a thirty minute sampler of funny comics at the festival. Tonight’s show features Gavin Baskerville, Anil Desai, Doug, and a special guest to be announced. The show takes place at Three Degrees at the QV, tickets on sale now at TryBooking. Also back tonight is Aaaaaaaargh! It’s a bonanza of Festival Comedy from the UK, the showcase of British comedy at the festival. Tonight’s bill has Abigoliah Schuman, Nikki Britton, Kunt & The Gang, with compere Nik Coppin. Check it out 6pm tonight at Red Violin, tickets from TixNoFee and at the door. Other variety shows on today include The 5:30 Show, These Kids Are Good, 100% Nuts, Here Come The Girls, Felix Bar Comedy, Comed-Oke’, and Checkpoint Charlie Comedy.
– If you find yourself attending MICF on your lonesome, you may be interested in this special offer from festival act Elena Gabrielle. Gabrielle performs in The Sexual Awakening of Virginia Poppycock, a comedy cabaret with a touch of burlesque. Following tonight’s show, a free round of speed dating will take place ran by Ms Poppycock, the princess of abstinence yet lover of sex – and best yet it’s free. Tickets are on sale now for the show from Ticketmaster.
– DIFFERENT VENUES: Two shows this year visit some unusual locations, and we don’t mean Carlton. This Thursday Tim ‘Rosso’ Ross starts his three show run of Man About The House in a renovated 1959 house in South Yarra. With music from Kit Warhurst, this will be one show with a difference. Tickets are on sale now, visit robinboyd.org.au to purchase one today. Also in progress is Standard Double, the character piece from Kate McLennan and Wes Snelling. This is a show about hotel life not only set in a hotel, but held in an actual hotel room – in this case The Blackman on St Kilda Road. Tickets are on sale for the show, which has just added an extra 10pm late show on Saturday April 19 from TryBooking.
– Late Night special Dungeon Crawl show off their 20 sided die tonight in Carlton. Ben McKenzie and brother Richard McKenzie unleash their fantasy adventure at the Bella Union Bar at Trades Hall. The brothers will be joined by guests Andrew McClelland, Louise Joy McCrae, Jimmy James Eaton, Abigoliah Schauman, and John Robertson. The adventure starts 11pm tonight, get your tickets from the Bella Union website, or at the door.
– LATE NIGHT: Festival Club returns with an infomercial like offer – ten comedians for ten bucks. Tonight Harley Breen will host Luke McGregor, Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall, Shane Matheson, Laura Hughes, Gavin Baskerville, Neel Kolhatkar, Tien Tran, Daniel Connell, Jennifer Wong, and Hayman Kent. After the Comedy DJs SugaGlaze & SugaCain. Get the laughs going 11.15pm tonight at The Hi-Fi Bar, tickets at the door. Also on late tonight – Bev Killick & Monte Diamonte, The After Party, Blake Mitchell, An Annoying Devil in Melbourne, Ryan Coffey, and Blernshaw Comedy. A full list of today’s shows are available from the Comedy Festival website.
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