Are you ready for the comedy madness?

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Table of Contents

• Are you ready for the comedy madness?

• Try This

My wish-list is heaving, my spreadsheet is full and my plan is starting to come together. Will the 40th year of Melbourne International Comedy Festival be a standout year? Signs are looking good, with some shows already selling out. From the much-anticipated How It Started series featuring mystery lineups of icons of past years, to Mark Watson’s comedy VIP tour, punters have secured their tickets before the festival begins. I’m kicking myself that I missed out on the tour, but have got my tickets to the Mark Watson vs. 40 show later that night (better get your tickets soon if you had your eye on this one!). Also on my regret list is having missed tickets to Judy Horacek’s opening weekend; her only shows with tickets left are 4th and 5th of April. Let my missed opportunities serve as a warning to book early for the shows you don’t want to miss.

I’ll be reviewing shows at The Age again this year, and this newsletter will make its way to your inboxes throughout the next four weeks. Let me know if there is anything you’d like me to cover or a topic you’re interested in hearing more about. The aim is to help you navigate the festival; hear about shows you might not know about, introduce you to performers you aren’t aware of, make it easier to figure out what to see.

Try This

I’m bringing back my reader request service this year, where I take on the challenge of matching a show to requests sent to my inbox. These first two are from friends who were looking for help navigating the 750+ shows in the guide.

Brad asked “I’ve been put in charge of choosing a show for my mates from work. Where the hell do I start?”

A good question when there are a variety of tastes to take into account. Start with your common ground - work - and go for a show that fits the theme. There’s Laurence Driscoll in Gay for Pay Cheque, or Lowest Prices Are Just The Beginning if you want some improvisation with your Bunnings-based comedy. Alternatively, if you need something with a broad-based appeal you can’t go wrong with someone like Josie Long or Lizzy Hoo.

Sarah asks “my friends and I want to do drinks after work on Friday then go to a couple of shows. We don’t want to run all over the city and we want to have time to chat between shows. Can you plan a night for us?”

I got you. I happen to know Sarah loves a post-work drink at Her, so I’ve used this as the kick off point for the night. There are a multiple venues close to or on Lonsdale Street including Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, Underground Comedy and The Greek. This gives their group a wide range of shows to choose from. I’d recommend Brown Women Comedy which runs at 6.45 Thurs-Sun at Queen Victoria Women’s Centre for the full festival run. Plenty of time for post-work drinks and light food. A lineup show offers a variety of comedians which is great when you have a group of friends who might like different styles. From there, catch the return of Ben Russell’s 2024 encore showing of his Director’s Choice award winning show at 9.10pm at The Greek (26-29 March only). Plenty of time for socialising and two very different offerings.

If you would like personalised comedy recommendations you can email me with requests at [email protected].

May the comedy gods be kind to us all this festival.

Cheers,

Lefa