Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: The best places to see a comedy show
FROM basement lounges to dive bars and tents, these are the best venues to see a gig at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Comedy Festival
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IF YOU’RE having trouble picking a comedian to see at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, we don’t blame you.
With hundreds of shows on every night, it’s easy to end up with a serious case of paralysis by analysis, and just give up and not go to any.
So, to simplify your night of laughs, as well as add a little mystery — instead of offering suggestions of who to see, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most unique places at which to see them.
Think of it as a lucky dip.
Pick a day, pick a venue, buy tickets to whoever is performing there that night and then settle in for an evening of non-stop laughs.
At the very least, if the comedy isn’t to your taste, the beers will be.
Plus, all that extra street cred you’ll get for being able to reel off a list of hip Melbourne haunts at the drop of a hat?
Priceless.
Here’s our guide to the most unique, interesting and exciting places to get your laugh on at MICF 2017.
Caz Reitop’s Dirty Secrets
Inconspicuously sandwiched between bustling bars and restaurants at the Gurtrude end of Smith Street, you’ll find this moodlit, speakesy-style, cocktail bar. The 1920s-themed watering hole is decked out with velvet curtains, flickering candles, red leather booths and rich mahogany accents, and a large gramophone takes pride of place on the bar, where an extensive offering of twenties and thirties inspired potions is on offer.
80 Smith Street, Collingwood
WHAT’S ON:
Dean Arcuri — I’d Date Me
Keith Cheng — No Tips for Keith Cheng?
Tim Batt — Ladies and Gentlemen
The Alchemist’s Refuge
Hidden away under the Games Laboratory, The Alchemist’s Refuge is one of those quintessential, quirky Melbourne bars that hosts Star Wars-themed cocktail nights and Harry Potter trivia evenings. Drinks are reasonably priced and the couches are comfy making it a great place to kick back, relax and get your ROFL on. Plus, for a gold coin donation you can rent a board game, which is a great back-up plan in the event that you realise you don’t like laughing.
328 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
The Basement Cafe and Bar
A cafe in a quasi-basement, serving, cocktails, quality coffee and gourmet pizza? That has Melbourne written all over it.
11 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Act Like a Lady
Chris Dewberyy — Let’s Agree To Disagree
Geoff Stetty & Danny Stinson — Comic Conned
Sean Morgan & Ian Worst — Mutual Split
Fort Delta
This concealed basement at the end of Swanston Street’s Capitol Arcade is the kind of underground venue that makes for a great comedy experience. It’s cosy, casual and clandestine, and was established in 2013 as a private gallery dedicated to making contemporary art more accessible to the masses. With limited seating, this is the ideal place for the up-close-and-personal comedy encounter.
Capitol Arcade (Basement Level), shop 59, 113 Swanston Street
WHAT’S ON:
Ash Williams — Back in Business
Laura Davis — Cake in the Rain
Mary Bourke & Christian Talbot — I Want An Irish Passport
Nurse Georgie Carroll — Gauze & Affect
Steele Saunders — Enthusiast
Three-Course Comedy
Horse Bazaar
Don’t let the name fool you. This trendy watering hole is at the cutting edge when it comes to fusion dining. Not only is it a fusion of foods and cultures, it also seamlessly adds visual arts, local and international entertainment, and live music to the mix. With seasonal specialty drinks, Japanese tapas and ‘izakaya’ inspired soul food, this Little Lonsdale Street saloon offers a cross-cultural feast for the senses.
397 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Graham Clone — The Vanishing Lady Single Launch
The Famous Spiegeltent
The Famous Spiegeltent is returning to Melbourne for a limited season at the Arts Centre. The European mirror tent was built in the 1920s and has spent its life travelling the world, popping up at festivals and fairgrounds and playing host to some of the world’s greatest entertainers. It will be rolling into Melbourne just in time for the Comedy Festival and boasts a roaring selection of evening and late-night shows for adults as well as plenty of school holiday fun for the kids.
Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Abandoman — Life + Rhymes
Ali McGregor’s Late Night Variety Nite Night
Paul Foot — ‘Tis A Pity She’s A Piglet
Stand & Deliver
Tommy Little & Gossling — Heartbreak & Hilarity
Trygve Wakenshaw — Nautilus
Testing Grounds
This free, outdoor space is a creative, cultural and education co-op encompassing art, performance and design. It is a breezy, open-air arena in which to experience fresh ideas, established and emerging artists, and new works of entertainment. Failing that, there’s always the bar. And if you’re really not having a good time, being outside makes the escape route considerably easier.
1-23 City Road, Southbank
WHAT’S ON:
Spiritual Botox & The New Wage
The Tickle Pit
Smoked meats and all the LOLs? What’s not to love about that? The Tickle Pit is a comedy room at Fancy Hank’s BBQ, so you can get your fill of American-style, slow-cooked fare and tickle your funny bone at the same time.
Level 1 377 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Andrew Portelli, Ben Searle & Matthew Vasquez — Unheard of
Ashley Greblo, Shaun Rosaia & Cody Jones — Three’s A Crowd Not An Audience
Damien Vosk — Rough
David McDonald — Shit Kids
Dr Duck — General Quacktitioner
Freak Party — ApocOlympics
Improv Against Humanity
Matt Harvey — The Face of Gentrification & Other Ideas
Tamara Issa — A TV Show
The Improv Conspiracy Theatre
If you like your comedy sketch and Chicago-style, this improve theatre is the place for you. With shows and improve workshops all year, this new theatre and training centre is helping people carve out their sketch careers. They also have a great line-up of talent four nights a week so you’re sure to find something to laugh at.
19 Meyers Pl, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Conspiracy Up Late
Tournament of Teams
Andrew Watt, Broni and Mario Hannah in Small Car
The Comic’s Lounge
The Comic’s Lounge is Melbourne’s go-to comedy club, year round. Featuring stars of comedy form both home and abroad, as well as open mic nights and stand-up sessions, it’s the ultimate venue for the cult comedy consumer.
26 Errol St, North Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
3 for 1 Live @ The Comic’s Lounge
Live at The Comics Lounge with Bob Franklin
The Naughty Show Hosted by Chris Wainhouse
Danny McGinlay — Bulldogs Bannerman Live!
Hotel Barkly Basement
Hidden beneath the street of St Kilda you’ll find BARKLY & grey; a gothic underground cave with an urban edge. The Hotel Barkly basement hideaway fuses dark and moody with urban street appeal, ideal for those looking for somewhere interesting and edgy to laugh for the night.
109 Barkly Street, St Kilda
WHAT’S ON:
Evan Hocking The Morning After
Tom Siegert — The Suburban Footballer
Evan Hocking & The Nelson Twins — The Good Ol’ Days Live
Loop Project Space & Bar
Loop Project has garnered a reputation as one of the premier destinations for audiovisual performance and experimentation. With a dedicated project space, as well as an exotic rooftop bar and cocktail garden, this is the place to go if you want to park for the night, eat, drink and be merry.
23 Meyers Pl, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Anthony McCormack, Phoebe O’Brien & Stephen Porter — Shut Your Juicy Mouth
Hammer & Tongs — Goin’ At It!
Jack & Jacob — Best Before Breakfast
Kate Hanley Corley — South Yarra Mums & Other Calamitous Tales
Mark Swivel — Dad. Joke.
Max Watt’s
Diehard fans of Swanston Street’s now-closed HiFi Bar and Ballroom will be intimately acquainted with the treasure trove that is Max Watts. This bursting basement bar was one of Melbourne’s original music institutions and remains today one of the best venues for live entertainment. Intimate but not too crowded, with great stage visibility. If you’ve never been to a show here, it’s definitely one to check off the bucket list.
125 Swanston Street, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Touche Hombre
Tacos, tequila and a whole lotta ha ha. That’s what you’ll get at this urban Mexican outpost. If you like your comedy with a side serve of fried chicken and fatty lamb ribs, watered down with mojitos and margaritas, Touche Hombe has your back.
233 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Hare Hole
Hares & Hyenas, in the heart of Fitzroy’s Spanish quarter, is Melbourne’s premier alternative bookshop, community hub and gallery. A bookshop by day, by night it transforms into an intimate event space, replete with ruby red paisley wallpaper and sparkling chandeliers. It also boasts and a fully licensed bar and cafe.
Hares & Hyenas, 63 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
WHAT’S ON:
Angela Green — Busted
Improvised Improv
Lady Sings it Better — Story Time
The Joint
If you’ve ever wandered down Elizabeth Street and wondered about the perennially packed-out first-floor bar above Duncan’s Liquor, now is your chance to get up there and check it out. Is it a bit gritty and grungy? Sure, but this only adds to its backpacker vibe and unpretentious appeal. The live entertainment space is dark and intimate; what better way to experience a funny new face?
35 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
British Invasion
Festival Showcase: The Late Show
Ged & Jamie in COCKBAGG’s Ye Olde Returneth of the Jedi
Steele Saunders — I Love Green Guide Letters Live Podcast
Arbory Bar + Eatery
Sandwiched between Flinders Street railways station and the Yarra River is this bustling waterside bar. With a burger-friendly menu and espresso martinis on tap, this is the perfect spot for a friendly feed, a refreshing tipple and an evening of laid-back LOLs in the great outdoors.
Access via the Flinders Street station underpass or the walkway between the Clocks pub on Swanston Street and Princes Bridge.
WHAT’S ON:
The Coopers Malthouse
This Comedy Festival, The Coopers Malthouse is home to the funniest, freshest, laugh-out-loudiest stand-up, sketch, cabaret and comedy theatre. The Festival’s buzzing southside hub mixes larger than life characters, wild comedy rides and audience adventures over three floors of guffaws. There is also a food truck courtyard and Coopers Comedy Bar, which — in case you were wondering — is very well stocked.
Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
WHAT’S ON:
The Bedroom Philosopher — Cat Show
Geraldine Quinn — Fox Poncing
Josh Earl & Daniel Tobias — Josh Earl’s Festival
Jude Perl — Roommates: The Musical
Rama Nicholas — The Lucky Ones
Sami Shah — Punching Down
Xavier Michelides — Lettuce Do This
Tasma Terrace
This three-storey terrace house in East Melbourne is a beautiful example of nineteenth century Victorian-era architecture. Built in 1879 for wealthy grain merchant George Nipper as a stylish guesthouse and family home, it narrowly escaped certain demolition in 1970, when developers attempted to replace it with high-rise towers. The historic building now houses the National Trust’s Victorian offices, a gallery space and period-decorated rooms.
6 Parliament Place, East Melbourne
WHAT’S ON:
Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall — F*%k A Duck Here We Go
Beau Stegmann — System Restore
Blake Everett — King of Nothing
Carlo Ritchie — Cooking For No One
Chelsea Zeller — High Achievers
Claire Healy — Impure Thoughts
Jacqueline Mifsud Sink Full of Forks
Joseph Green — Death of a Ladies’ Man
John Leung — The Cunning Linguist
Hairy Soul Man — Up Close and Extremely Personal
Megan Mckay Goddess Complex
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