All posts tagged: comedy

MICF Review: Sink Full of Forks

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The first show we were invited to attend as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival was Jacqueline Mifsud’s – ‘Sink Full of Forks.’ Jacqueline is an already established performer, a co-host of the CH31 news satire program ‘The Leak’ and also works with Fox Sports as a warm up comedian, she’s someone who’s taken time to hone her craft and we, the audience get to enjoy the fruits of her labour. Sink Full of Forks (and yes, this phrase DOES get a well-linked reference in the material presented) is Jacqueline’s second MICF show and includes tales of her time in France rock-starring as an unpaid tour guide surviving on tips alone, references to meaningful conversations with staplers, heartbreaking woes of going through a break up as well some serious home truths for the intelligent, independent woman. Jacqueline is is charming and funny, and not just haha funny. We literally had tears running down our cheeks from laughter, even pausing after one particularly awesome punch line to have a ‘Pete-and-Manu-like knowing glance’ between us. This …

Top 5 – MICF Under 30 Club

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We’re always keen to check out some up and coming Melbourne International Comedy Festival performers to round out a full festival experience, and 2017 will be no exception. Not only are tickets to these shows cheaper than larger more established names, you’ll also get the supreme pleasure of saying to your friends in 2 years’ time…. ‘I totally saw them before they were huge..’ Enter, our top 5 picks for shows this festival featuring comedians under 30 who are making their mark (or already have) this MICF. Sam Taunton – Taunts Down for What Sam was a RAW Comedy finalist and has self-appointed himself as Australia’s premier yarn man. His show covers important topics like his regretful teenage years, travel, and whether he cleans his bed enough. 30 March – 23 April 2017. Tickets and more information on MICF website. Becky Lucas – Little Bitch Becky has previously written for TV’s Please Like Me, and has already opened for big names like Wil Anderson and Joel Creasey. Her show, Little Bitch has been described as …

2017 MICF Interviews

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The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is returning in 2017 with a spectacular line up of local and international performers in over 500 shows – running for four, hilariously entertaining weeks. We caught up with three local performers, and got their thoughts on the festival, tips on how best to enjoy it and the inside oil on their upcoming shows…. Gillian Cosgriff – 8 Songs in 8 Weeks What about the MICF gets you excited? Seeing as many shows as I can, especially new ones. This year I’m hanging out to see Liam Ryan, Double Denim, and Alice Tovey. Also, eating my own body weight in potato cakes. What’s your top three recommendations for visitors to Melbourne to get the most out of MICF? 1. Take a chance on a show you’ve never heard of before – a new venue, a new genre of comedy, someone who flyers you in the street. 2. Go to the Festival Club to see a bunch of comedians in one show. It’s a great way to find a comedian you …

Melbourne Comedy Festival – 2017

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The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is returning in 2017 with a spectacular line up of local and international performers in over 500 shows – running for four, hilariously entertaining weeks. With ticket prices averaging at $28 each, you’ll be able to see all of your favorites, plus maybe try a few new shows to broaden your comedy experience. Larger name Comedy Festival favourite likes Arj Barker, Jason Byrne, Ruby Wax, Jimeoin, Bob Franklin, Cal Wilson, Claire Hooper, Frank Woodley, Judith Lucy and Denise Scott and Rove McManus headline, but for a full experience – we recommend checking out some of the independent shows in and around Melbourne’s smaller venues. For Harry Potter fans, you can watch a performance of ‘Completely Improvised Potter’, or for all the single ladies (or those with a  wicked sense of humor) we recommend ‘Desperettes – A Guide to being a Wingman’ and for some awkward but fun humor try Barry Morgan (remember Barry Morgan from the World of Organs on Spicks and Specks…. check out this sweet medley to refresh …

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 …

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 …

Good Morning Mofo – MICF Review

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Good Morning  Mofo is filled with a cocktail of characters that you’d normally see and hear behind the scenes and on set of a breakfast show and Zoe McDonald plays them all. Upon entering The Bagging Room at the Malthouse Theatre, we were greeted with Jenny who as she explained “was the intern. She wasn’t getting paid for this but was very excited to be here.” This interaction with the audience we would soon realise was a large part of the whole show. The hour-long show moves through a series of characters for Women’s Week at Channel’s 8 Brunch show and Zoe Mcdonald transitions seamlessly between each. Taking apart the world of morning TV, characters including Chloe Davies the host with the perfect newsreader voice, Jessica Murphy the ‘bogan’ member of the audience, Rachelle the weather lady and also our favourite, Jenny the intern plus more – Each characterised by a different voice, rigid hand or flailing of the arm making them unique. The audience is never left questioning which currently character is on stage …

#1 Ninja – MICF Review

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Pitched as an affordable, unlicensed 55-minute seminar, channeling the likes of Tony Robbins, #1 Ninja is an hour of super-funny sketch comedy running as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Starring Andy Balloch, Dan Pavatich and Ivy Latimer – a good-looking trio of fantastic chemistry, the show kicks off with the ‘seminar’s’ promotional video, passionate testimonials from the #1 Ninja’s success stories – and then the real performance begins as we’re taken through a bunch of revolving characters, sketches and alternate perceptions – poking fun at the absurd way that society treat those of different sexuality, gender…. and ninjas. Basically, a glorious, cheeky middle finger to small-mindedness. Without giving all of the good stuff away, if you like the sound of aliens with bizarre attractions to non-functioning bubble jet printers and awkward love stories from the Titanic, you should definitely get along and see this show, #1 Ninja is sketch comedy at it’s most fun. Bring your mates and support local talent. Rating: ★★★★ #1 Ninja runs up until 17 April, as part of …

When Hayley Met Salad – MICF Review

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If you too grieve over kebabs that could have been, make embarrassing drunk phone calls and have an intimate relationship with your fast food server then When Hayley Met Salad is the show for you. Hayley Brennan takes us through her time as a gym bunny, under the watchful eye of her personal trainer sister, and the events that sent her from KFC to the treadmill. Brennan’s physical comedy is superb. Her slo-mo recreation of drinking tequila, is hilarious until you realise that’s how awful you looked the last time you did shots. And you’ve never seen someone so accurately take a bra off one handed whilst remaining fully clothed. It takes a little while for Brennan to get into the flow of her piece. Her beginning section moves nervously from one thought to another, and when she feels that her audience aren’t completely with her she rushes through the sketch. But once everyone warms up, her jokes land brilliantly. Brennan’s personal misadventures scan much better with the audience then some of her early lines …

Bobby’s Bits – MICF Review

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“I’m so gay I own a flannel shirt”. The next 45 minutes are a chuckle-inducing snap-shot into Bobby Macumber’s somewhat wacky life. With a Father who tries his best to be politically correct, a Mum who’s a champion at aggressive hide and seek, and a girlfriend who’s obsessed with watches but useless at time keeping; Macumber has been provided with plenty of fodder for her show. Through a series of stories we see Macumber is gifted at creating characters on stage. Her trip to Bali gives her the opportunity to show off her skills, as the audience meet the larger than life locals with interesting marketing techniques. Although it is confusing when the Balinese market sellers sound like they’re very closely related to Apu from The Simpsons. Each of her stories are very much self-contained, but Macumber could work on her transitions between sketches. It’s obvious there is a theme to the show, but it is missing the flow that a great comedy piece needs. What really stands out are Macumber’s comedy songs. Her parody …