Don’t Make Me Laugh

With over 200 shows on offer, Coral Drouyn looks at some of the highlights of the 2016 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which runs from March 24^th to April 17^th.

It’s the 30^th Anniversary of the MICF, and if you haven’t found much to laugh about lately, that’s all about to change. And if you really can’t afford to see everything….or you’re not up to doing three or four shows in one night, this might help you decide.

It’s hard to go past The 30^th Birthday Bash on April Fool’s Day, where Cal Wilson and Tommy little will host a gala…or is that Galah…of stars including Luke McGregor, Rich Hall, Eddie Perfect, Rachel Berger, The Umbilical Brothers, Wendy Harmer, and a host of comedy legends and stars of tomorrow. This is a one off show running 150 minutes, so if you want to savour the flavour of the MICF, book for the Regent Theatre.

Comedy is all a matter of taste, and some of your choices will be trial and error with the newer acts….but be brave, prices are cheap and if you get one great laugh it’s worth the price.

If you don’t want to go right into the city, head for the Elephant and Wheelbarrow at St Kilda for the International Comedy Showcase, with four different comics every night, and hosted by the very funny veteran English Comic Terry North; it’s like a mini comedy festival on it’s own, and it is every night of the festival.

Female comics are prominent this year (and about bloody time). Check dates for Celia Pacquola at the Comedy Theatre. She is the real deal, as is the Fantabulous Queenie van de Zandt, who brings her alter ego Jan van de Stool to the Trades Hall for the duration of the festival. The show is I Get the Music In You and it is a HOOT, plus, you get to hear the real amazing voice of Queenie. A Must See. Also nightly is Ali McGregor’s late night Variety show where anything can happen. Judith Lucy releases her inner moth in her award winning Ask no Questions of the Moth and Felicity Ward has a brand new show.

The male comic line-up features all of our Favourites….Akmal, Arj Barker, Dave Hughes, Stephen K Amos, Lawrence Mooney, Wil Anderson, Adam Zwar brings the Agony show to the Yarraville Club, and of course there are the supercomics - Rich Hall and Ross Noble. But the two “must sees” are the breakout star of last year’s festival Alex Edelman at the Town Hall, and the doyen of subtlety, American comic Jake Johannson, who is making his Australian debut.

If you love Trivia, try Quiz In My Pants at the Butterfly Club. Brought to you by Always Working Artists, who were responsible for the fab Shoot From The Hip at last year’s fringe, this promises to be a hoot.

And why not start your night with the fabulous Bugle Boys at the Athenaeum. These three fabulous drag performers sing sensational harmonies LIVE as the Andrews Sisters, and manage to decimate each other with bitchery.  The shows are 5.30pm.

This leaves you time for two more shows before finishing the night with the Fabulous Dolly Diamond, up late and intimate with some great guests from the festival and theatre. That Michael Dalton sure gets around once he puts his frock and Shlap on! A great performer and always worth seeing.

I plan to see as many as possible. AS Ricky Gervais said “Are you ‘aving a laugh?” Not yet, but I certainly plan to over the next few weeks.

Images: 30th Birthday Bash, Alex Edelman, Felicity Ward, and Bugle Boys.

www.comedyfestival.com.au