All-stars shine bright at Melbourne International Comedy Festival supershow
Urzila Carlson, Dave Hughes, Stephen K Amos and Michelle Wolf led an all-star lineup on the opening night of this year’s comedy festival. But which stars shone brightest?
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A group of 25 of the world’s best comedians shone bright as they helped kick off the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
The Opening Night Allstars Comedy Supershow – the festival’s annual launch event at the Palais Theatre — showcased a who’s who of funny folk including Dave Hughes, Stephen K Amos, Mark Watson, Michelle Wolf, Tom Ballard and Joel Creasey.
Here are 14 super things about the show.
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SUPER CHILL
Host Urzila Carlson refuses to be phased by anything, radiating a laid back vibe as she took on one of the most prestigious gigs in Aussie TV comedy.
While many of her peers obsess with neuroses, Carlson just gets it done and then some.
She even chucked some new material in and poked fun at the set design alongside some classic traffic rants. Choice.
SUPER TIGHT
Aaron Chen has been showing plenty of promise while weirding up the joint for a few years now.
So when he walked on stage we were ready for anything, what we were not expecting was a straight-up mid-air anecdote with a cracking sight gag finish that absolutely killed.
Sky’s the limit for this guy.
SUPER WEIRD
In the absence of any truly off-the-wall spots, we dug the off-kilter energy of US Headliner Jo Firestone, whose tale of finding teeth while working at a movie theatre included one of the lines of the night (“one of the Batmans”), that was criminally underappreciated.
SUPERHERO
The always charming Mark Watson had a tough ask when he took the stage in front of a flagging room and proceeded to shove a helium pipe where the sun doesn’t shine with his inimitable mildly manic style.
One of the great Palais saves.
SUPER STRUT
There’s usually one act at these line-up shows that brings a welcome dash of pizzazz to proceedings.
Mawaan Rizwan, in his sparkly tracksuit and with an energetic spring in his variety of steps, was that act and was smartly scheduled as the last in his bracket.
The son of a Bollywood star is a charisma machine.
After watching him strut his stuff, you’ll have a new way to walk.
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SUPERSTAR
At a relatively tender age, Michelle Wolf already has a formidable reputation in the US comedy scene with a critically acclaimed TV show and (in)famous White House Correspondents Dinner hosting job under her belt.
In town for only a handful of gigs, she showed no signs of jet lag with the most splendidly tight five of the night about her dating exchanges.
She’ll be gone by the time this show airs, take our word for it, get in quick.
SUPERSTAR-IN-WAITING
There’s been plenty of buzz around Sarah Keyworth’s debut show, which was award-nommed in Edinburgh last year, but it was worth wondering how five minutes of her deadpan James Acaster-esque stylings might fly in somewhere the size of the Palais.
We needn’t have been concerned. Keyworth dominated, and is clearly more than ready for the big stage.
SUPER PROMISING
Of the other visiting internationals, Ed Night and Eleanor Tiernan stood out as ones to watch.
As well as lamenting the plethora of Irish surnames surrounding Donald Trump on any given day, Tiernan devoted a impressive amount of her allotted time to hand-dryers and the existential thoughts they can generate.
Meanwhile, the self-deprecating Night’s way with a visual description (including a memorably mournful description of what his own penis looks like) boded extremely well.
SUPER SILLY
Taking dad jokes to the extreme and generating as many groans as laughs, the 52-year-old Tim Vine is always a sugar-rush of ridiculousness.
With a ventriloquism bit that went on far past any sane person would take it, he did not disappoint.
SUPER ANGRY
Tom Ballard has perfected the art of righteous millennial indignation and he is coming for you, baby boomers.
Not sure anyone else is yelling this well in comedy right now. One hell of a hilarious rant.
SUPER TRAUMATIC
Nobody can spin an objectively “oh no” story about attempted mouse extermination into an adorably (semi-)musical number like the great David O’Doherty.
Just don’t think about it too much.
SUPER DAPPER
If you haven’t seen Dilruk Jayasinha in a while, prepare for a delightful shock.
The slimline Sri Lankan was looking sharp as as he relayed tales of his stunning weight loss and its unfortunate unintended consequences.
Make sure you’re sitting comfortably.
DILRUK JAYASINHA SOARS AT ALLSTARS
SUPER SMASHED
UK musical double act Flo & Joan took a song about having a few too many vinos to some strange and wonderful places with their delirious harmonies building up to a hellacious bender.
Something tells us there’s more melodiously dark tales in store from these twisted sisters.
SUPER STACKED
Along with last week’s Gala (which airs on ABC this Sunday, here’s why you should watch it), this line-up suggests an exceptionally abundant year for Aussie and international talent at this year’s Festival. Get around it.
The Opening Night Allstars Comedy Supershow will be broadcast on ABC TV on Sunday 7 April.
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