All posts tagged: melbourne

Wicked Chocolate Festival

If you’ve got a massive sweet tooth like us, then Prahran Market’s Wicked Chocolate Festival will be your idea of heaven! On Saturday May 7, the entire Market will be transformed into a chocolate wonderland of sensory delights and the cost of entry is free! See, taste, smell and enjoy everything chocolate with foodie fun activities suitable for the whole family, including a Taste the Chocolate Trail ticketed event featuring the Market’s mouth-watering chocolate delicacies; a pop-up Chocolate Precinct; free chocolate cooking demos, a producers’ stage, a ticketed cake making event at Essential Ingredient, free tastings and more. There’ll be all sorts of chocolate goodies from some of Melbourne’s best dessert makers include Doughboy Doughnuts, Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio, Bibelot, Butterbing Cookie Sandwiches and Pana Chocolate . When: 10:30-5pm, 7 May Where: Prahran Markets Visit the website here.

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

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

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

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

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 …

3 States of Comedy: Reinstated – MICF Review

It’s the way fights were meant to be settled: head to head… to head comedy bouts. Danny Stinson, Geoff Setty and Becky Steepe battle it out to have their state crowned as Australia’s funniest. First up, representing everyone’s favourite state, Victoria (not that we’re biased in Melbourne), is Danny Stinson. Straight out of the ring and Stinson is throwing punches. There’s sealife in strange places, disorientated drunks and spiders who are watching their weight. You expect that the rest of the show is going to continue in a similar vein; but this is where the state bashing ends. One liner Geoff Setty has the best rapport with the room. He has great timing, and seems to have a joke about every subject imaginable, but there is a flow missing to his work. Going from Star Wars sex jokes to Happy Days to “Hitler Instagram” is just a little too much of a leap. You can still tell a story with one liners, and you can lose your audience if you move around too much. Going …

Asian Street Food Weekend

Over the next three days The Food Truck Park™ will transform Preston into an Asian themed foodies dream with a modern twist – food trucks.  Combining familiar flavours with speciality dishes, this will be the one place to experience all your favourite Asian food trucks all weekend long. Expect all  your favourite Asian style foodie trucks including Hello Saigon, White Guy Cooks Thai, Ghost Kitchen, Nem N’ Nem, That Nasi Lemak Guy, Hello Saigon, Yo India plus more! Make the most of the sunny Autumn days while you still can! When: 8- 10 April Where: The Food Truck Park Preston Visit the website here.

Melbourne’s never been cheaper

For one week only, some of Melbourne’s best retailers and there’s something for everyone. Grab a burger for $1 from Mr Burger,  6c juices from Greene Street Juices , heck you can even get 7c Happy Socks. The Happy Tappers pop-up will be at Melbourne’s iconic State Library precinct next week and NAB will be running the show showcasing their recently launched Tap n’ Pay technology on Android phones. If you’re a NAB customer and Android user, great! If not, don’t worry about it. They will have phones and topped up accounts for you to trial the tech and take advantage of the delicious deals on site. The pop up details are as follows: Monday 11th April – 10 cent tapas (Bar Lourihna). Including a meet and greet and how-to session with chef sensation, Matt McConnell. Tuesday 12th April – 6 cent Greene Street Juices Wednesday 13th April – 7 cent Happy Socks Thursday 14th April – 1 buck burgers from Mr Burger Friday 15th April – 5 cent flowers from Botanics of Melbourne. When : 11th – 15th April …

Paul Culliver: The Honeypot – MICF Review

“A straight, white male doing a comedy show, that’s novel”(!) Paul Culliver might be a middle-class man, but don’t worry you haven’t walked into some terrifying Men’s Rights Activism lecture masquerading as a comedy show. Culliver is super aware of his privilege; in fact he’s even invented a scale to determine just how privileged he is. (It’s 17 doors by the way). With his cheeky, chappy nature he can talk about race, feminism and politics, and the combination works. Culliver seems to have an endless supply of intelligent, quipping lines. The show never feels scripted; just one hilarious stream of consciousness, making his ability to be so quick witted all the more impressive. He doesn’t get it quite right all the time; you can feel bits of the room tense up during certain sections of his stand-up. But in fairness he does go back and correct himself when he can feel this happening, Culliver says he “really doesn’t want to be a shit head in this show”, and he definitely doesn’t come off like that. …

Cirque Adrenaline

From the producers of The Illusionists and Le Noir comes the heart-pounding Cirque Adrenaline. This family spectacular show blends traditional circus acts with the new; mixing clowns and trapeze artists with daredevil motorcyclists and complex aerial stunts. Cirque Adrenaline’s troupe of over 30 performers, many former stars of Cirque du Soleil are renowned for their theatrical flair and breath-taking acrobatic displays both on the ground and high above the stage. When: Until 10 April Where: State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne Visit the website here.