All posts filed under: Reviews

Women Like Us – MICF Review

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Ellen Briggs and Mandy Nolan are two funny, funny ladies. Straight-talking independent women who shoot straight from the lip and keep the stories coming, the kind of sparkly, charismatic women who, if you met at a dinner party you would be enthralled, chin in hands as they deliver one funny, entertaining tale after the other. Armed with a repertoire chock full of Mum jokes, Mullumbimby hippy digs and witty, intelligent tales about waxing, trying on clothes and having to deal with snooty shop assistants, (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg) their humour is warm, sometimes politically incorrect and always entertaining. Too often there is a lot of pressure on women in the traditionally male-dominated industry of stand up to prove themselves. Ellen and Mandy knock it out of the park without having to resort to the lowest common denominator, minimising every day first world struggles of middle-class women, inviting the audience to laugh about every day trivial things and reaching a connection with everyone within five minutes of hitting the stage. They are …

Evan is a Place On Earth – MICF Review

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The start of Evan Hocking’s stand up comedy show kicks off with a theme song, the Belinda Carlisle classic ‘Heaven is a Place On Earth’– cleverly dubbed over the top so that she’s singing ‘Evan is a Place on Earth’ – he cheekily announces that this is so that we can have that song stuck in our head for weeks, and the truth… it works. Evan’s show is true Australian ‘bloke’ humour. Short snippets of his life, tales of weddings he’s been to, trips he’s been on, his lovely-sounding, almost-doctor girlfriend and his time as a pool cleaner in Port Douglas – typical stories of a 30-something year old guy with a dry, hilarious and lighthearted outlook of life. Evan includes a tiny bit of audience interaction in his show, but it’s not obnoxious and off putting like some shows, it’s just… good true blue fun. A funny guy with an entertaining story to tell, Evan is a Place on Earth is showing as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in The Downstairs Lounge @ The Grand Mercure until 17 April, and, …

Boomerangs and Beavertales – MICF Review

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It’s a Canadian showcase, with added Australian “for visa reasons”. Queensland’s Jacques Barrett’s comedy partner couldn’t get over to Melbourne for the Comedy Fest, so instead every night the audience are treated to some of the Great White North’s top comedians. Barrett is clearly a big fan of Canada; I guess he wouldn’t be doing this show otherwise! But he knows the country and its narcotics pretty intimately. He’s playing double duty as he MC’s and represents Oz, and has done an incredible job creating a proper late night comedy gig. The atmosphere, the jokes, how intoxicated the audience are; Boomerangs and Beavertales is entirely different to shows that start even 15 minutes before. Jack Druce is the first Canadian to the mic, it is important to note that he has lived in Australia since he was nine however. Sex with birds and men who love magic; Druce’s personality is much less intense than the other two comedians, so the show balances nicely. Headliner Lars Cailleou has the rosiest cheeks you’ve ever seen and is …

A Night at the Downstairs Lounge – MICF

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There were canapés, there were drinks and there were three awesome comedians; The Swanston Hotel put on the perfect night at their downstairs lounge at this year’s comedy fest. MC Mike Klimczak runs the venue and has just casually invited three of his comedian friends down to help him out for the evening; it’s difficult not to be jealous that he’s got these three acts in his phonebook. But the whole evening does have this lovely laid back feel to it; it’s their last day off before the final week of the fest, the calm before the storm perhaps! Either way the atmosphere is great for a night of chilled comedy. Claire Hooper has just had her second baby, is doing a solo show at MICF and came along on the 11th; she’s an all-round superwoman. The whole set feels like she’s just riffing off of what the audience give her. Hooper’s maternal instincts kick in when she spots a 14 year old girl in the second row with her parents. Her Mum looked particularly …

Anthony Jeannot: Rage Against the Manchild – MICF Review

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When the doors open for this show, and the audience file into the room, Anthony watches them creepily from his spot on the corner of the stage  – except it’s not creepy, not even a little bit, in fact the entire first five minutes of the show is dedicated to his hilarious apology slash justification for his actions, which sort of puts everyone at ease, and considering they are already laughing – into the right mood for the rest of the show. The binding premise for this hour-long show is reflection on the contents of a letter that the 14 year old Anthony wrote to his future self, listing his top 3 life observations which he goes on to share with the audience: Love is the best thing we do; If you have the opportunity to help, you have the obligation to try; and We all do the best job we can in life. Poignant, beautiful stuff really – unexpected in the stand up comedy genre. And from there we’re taken back and forth through endearing tales relating to these principles, …

Little Golden Dassalo – MICF Review

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He’s Australia’s most beautiful comedian, but Tommy Dassalo is going through an ugly break up. Heartbreak isn’t a revolutionary topic when it comes to stand up, but you definitely won’t have seen anything like this before. Dassalo has illustrated an entire book so that the audience can read along with his relationship misery. It sounds twisted, but the best comedy often is. Dassalo has everything working for him. He has the best relationship with his audience and they laugh the whole way through; at his improv-ing, his storytelling, his slightly disturbing drawings. But I can’t remember ever leaving a comedy show on the verge of tears. Like a great playwright, Dassalo somewhat lures you into a false sense of security as you chuckle through the set. You’re enjoying sexual Connect 4 and then completely out of nowhere you’re hit with this oh so poignant ending, even though it’s set to the music of The New Radicals, and the show’s just finished. I would suggest going with friends so that you have someone to hug when …

Miles Milson & David Boyle: Banned for Life – MICF Review

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You either love stand up comedy or you don’t. It’s that harshly critiqued genre where the person on stage goes home with either the roars of audience laughter in their ears… or the sound of tumble weeds, crickets and broken dreams…. No pressure. These guys were funny. Genuinely funny. But you literally couldn’t find two more different blokes, and I think that was what worked so well.  First to take the stage was David (Private) Boyle. Full of traditional Australian humor, the crowd were really into his act and laughed the whole way through. David is high energy and enthusiasm with the usual twisted perception on real life which people go to stand up nights to hear.  And then came Miles Milson. A completely different kettle of fish. He had the kind of chilled, ‘off-on-a-tangent’ humor you and your best mate would laugh your heads off at 2am after a big night. Real dark, random humor. Which after all, is the best kind. A fun way to finish the show, I’ll definitely never look at …

Hayward & Hadid: This is an Excuse – MICF Review

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Poking fun at ‘bros before hoes’ culture, and unfairly branded ‘crazy girls,’ This is an Excuse is live sketch comedy for the ladies who’ve been there, and done that. Pretty much any woman you know has a bad relationship story, these witty women take that next level, turn it on it’s head, polish it up and make you laugh in it’s face. From the differing views of Cupid and Psyche, to the fiery condemnations of the Devils Advocate, we found it fast paced and enthralling throughout. The show was a super fun girl’s night out with sharp and intelligent humor, relatable jokes and a relaxed vibe – the packed out audience loved it. We roared with laughter throughout, especially when hit with those ‘oh my gosh, that has totally happened to me’ bits. Hayward and Hadid: This is an Excuse runs as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until 17 April. Get along and see it in it’s final days and support our local talent. P.S  – These guys post daily ticket offers on their Facebook page, …

Damian Callinan Swing Man – MICF Review

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Damian Callinan has been diagnosed with OTTDS – OverThe Top Dancing Syndrome. His show kicks off with an alien abduction sequence during which he displays with ease his fantastic 80’s dancing prowess (stick with us here) but, whilst proficient in almost every other style of dance – the style of dance that alludes him, and that which will ultimately save him from his somewhat friendly alien abductors is Swing. As they say in the show, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t Swing. From there Damian takes us through the hilarious fabrics of time itself, through his teenage years with lots of ‘growing up in suburban Victoria’ in-jokes which were a hit with everyone in the audience, interval cameos from his improvisational, leaf munching droid – Jean Clauvive, and then ultimately the journey of learning how to Swing. From Swing Dancing for Morons, to eventually getting his own personal Swing Dancing instructor, the audience is with him the entire way. Does he eventually master the art of Swing? You’ll have to go along and find out. A man of many talents, this show was …

Simon & Perri Go Large – MICF Review

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They’ve got the best hair and beard combo in the comedy business; and a spectacular Rocky-esque opener; Simon Cumming and Perri Cassie are pulling out all the stops for their split show at this year’s Comedy Fest. Cumming’s personality seems sort of reminiscent of Buddy the Elf; he works in a chocolate factory, skips through fields, and counsels cats. His set doesn’t discuss a particular topic throughout, but his silliness about life in general is such a pleasure to watch. Although he doesn’t need to tell the audience which bits he’s made up; it’s like a magician revealing their secrets. Plus some reviewers will believe anything if you let them. Cumming has a very distinct laugh, and is able to create a real rapport with the audience. His stories flit around but the show never feels scripted, it’s just ideas that pop into his head and that works perfectly for him. If you too appreciate the excitement when you have enough money to buy berries, then you’re going to want to be “Poppin punnits in …