The city's leading female and non-binary comics bring the house down this April.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival is bringing the LOLs back to the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre this April, with a killer lineup of female and non-binary talent set to smash the patriarchy one punchline at a time.
Running from April 1 to 19, QVWC transforms into comedy central with its rad pop-up bar The Burning Brassiere slinging drinks in the grand foyer. This ladies-lounge-with-a-twist welcomes everyone from gender-diverse folks to allies and basically anyone with a thirst for laughs and libations.
Want to start planning your comedy festival calendar? Read on.
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Friends With Monty
- Rama Nicholas
- April 1 to 12
Character comedy queen Rama Nicholas returns with Friends With Monty, a fresh multi-character extravaganza that’ll have you cackling. Nicholas, a deadset legend in the storytelling game, blurs the lines between mischief and brilliance with sketches and characters that’ll leave you gasping. Expect gossip, shenanigans and just the right amount of mischief.
Pamsquale
- Amanda Santuccione and Melina Wylie
- April 8 to 12
Grab your best socks-and-sandals combo for Pamsquale, where Melbourne Fringe Best Performance nominees Amanda Santuccione and Melina Wylie bring lovable clowns Pammy and Pasquale to life. This wine-fuelled, dancercise-powered journey scored five stars from Theatre Matters, who reckon they “should give the ABC a ring and get a show.”
Live Stand Up Comedy Show Female Comedian Local Comedy Festival Event
- Bridget Hassed
- April 1 to 12
Bridget Hassed delivers a cool and very normal evening of sharp observational humour in the hilariously titled Live Stand-Up Comedy Show Female Comedian Local Comedy Festival Event. This brand-new show promises personal anecdotes and clever punchlines with absolutely no deeper message whatsoever (wink wink).
Dad Genes
- Eddie Pattison
- April 2 to 12
Dad Genes sees Pattison navigating the murky waters of grief, growing ass hair and an increasing prescription of amphetamines in this debut hour about losing a father while sort of becoming a man. Just a lil’ guy begging for a filler episode, this one’s all heart and humour.
Endhoe
- Anna Dooley
- April 8 to 19
Endhoe takes us on a wild journey inside the body with Anna tackling endometriosis – one of the world’s top 20 most painful diseases – with cunning comedy. Documenting 40+ hospital visits, four operations and eight years of unsolicited advice, Anna’s turning her pain into powerful, hilarious storytelling.
Jason Statham, I Love You
- Clare Rankine
- April 3 to 12
Clare Rankine (Upright Citizens Brigade) brings her brand-new character comedy show Jason Statham, I Love You to the stage. Rankine invites you to punch a shark in slow motion alongside everyone’s favourite action hero, and friends!
Help Me, ChatGPT </3
- Tiffany Wong
- April 15 to 19
Help Me, ChatGPT </3 introduces us to Tiffany, a self-proclaimed scientist and hopeless romantic using AI to find her soulmate from the audience. After months of using ChatGPT as her unofficial therapist, she’s upgrading it to matchmaker in this completely unscripted tech-meets-romance experiment.
An Age To Remember
- Abby Hampton
- April 15 to 19
Rounding out the stellar lineup is An Age To Remember, where Abby reflects on the Facebook advice she received for her twenties now that she’s turned thirty. With songs and stories, she invites audiences to reminisce, plan and discuss the decades behind and ahead.
For more information on the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre comedy lineup, head here.
This article was made in partnership with the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre.
