The Pun: MICF 2025 is live

Thanks for signing up to The Pun. As March descends and the comedy is upon us, it seemed like the right time to launch this newsletter.

So, why ‘The Pun’? Many years ago I ran a print publication of the same name which came out weekly during MICF. In our first year we reviewed over 90% of the shows in the festival, a feat I don’t think anyone else has ever come close to. It was a labour of love and one of the most fun experiments of my life. As well as being a print publication, it was the first indy publication to publish online reviews of the festival (yes, it was that long ago) and was a hub for news, giveaway tickets and interviews with comedians. When I considered having a space to cover comedy again it seemed fitting to bring back it back under this name.

I hope you enjoy my feature in The Age which was published online last week and in the physical paper on Sunday. The one-two comedy punch is a technique I’ve been recommending (read: pushing) on anyone I chat to about MICF for many years. Loads of folks come in to see a headliner they know from television and/or radio, and encouraging them to pair that show with a local they haven’t seen before is a somewhat easy sell, I think. Double the fun, have a show you know is exactly your jam, but step outside your comfort zone to open yourself up to something new. I’d love to hear about any performers you’re giving a go for the first time this year!

If you’re feeling the pinch with your wallet this year check out the social media of artists you have your eye on. Many are offering discount codes for their shows through Instagram. As the festival goes on you might see them offering some free tickets here and there for quieter nights, too.

At this stage I expect many people are still adding shows to their wish lists. Accepting that I can’t make it to everything that piques my interest is a struggle every year. The internationals I was glad to see returning this year include Rosie Jones, Rhys Darby, Sofie Hagan (been waiting so long for them!), Abby Howells, Mark Watson, Tom Allen and Sara Pascoe. Disappointingly Sarah Keyworth’s return with their award-winning show My Eyes Are Up Here (which got a five star review from me in 2024) has been cancelled. Locals I think will have a good show this year include Laura Davis, Janty Blair, Nicolette Minster, Maddy Weeks, Rama Nicholas, Tiffany Wong, Annie Boyle and Reuben Kaye. Internationals I’m yet to see live but am interested in checking out include Sumukhi Suresh, Urooj Ashfaq (she’s been recommended to me multiple times already), Kura Forrester, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Jake Lambert, Elf Lyons, Alayne Dick and Josh Berry. This is by no means an exhaustive list of promising shows, just some that grabbed my attention.

I am often asked to recommend shows to people and I love doing it. I like to ask what someone like in a comedy show, which performers they love, what they simply cannot stand. This year you can email me to ask for some recommendations! Reply to this newsletter and tell me a bit about comedians you like, tv comedy you watch, podcasts you listen to, what kinds of things you’ve enjoyed in the past or formats/genres you want to know about (group shows to get a taste of a few people, physical comedy, family-friendly shows, queer performers you might not know, theatrical performances). I’ll feature some of the questions and my recommendations in future newsletters.

Speaking of recommendations, have you seen the Funny Finder? MICF have an AI assistant who will answer your questions about the festival and recommend shows based on your prompts. Given the difficulties navigating the 650+ shows on the website, the question of how to navigate and find suitable offerings is relevant. It has a disclaimer at the top saying “I’m still learning and might sometimes get things wrong. Please be patient with me as I improve” which, apparently, it needs to do. Reports on social media from people who have tried it seem to indicate it isn’t up to much of a challenge yet.

Lastly, I’m expecting to send this a few times a week over the next month of the festival. If that’s too frequent for you, or it doesn’t end up being what you expected, unsubscribe at any time. Once MICF 2025 is over I hope to send something sporadically throughout the year, probably with more of a focus on linking to coverage of television/podcast/radio comedy. I’m open to hearing what you might like to hear from me during the festival or beyond so don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Happy comedy season, folks.

Lefa