Best Melbourne International Comedy Festival showcases featuring multiple stand-up comedians
Want maximum value for your money at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival? These are the must-see stand-up shows featuring three, four or more comedians.
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Want maximum laughs for your money at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival?
By far the best and easiest way to see multiple comedians at the same time and place is by catching one of the festival’s showcases.
Whether it’s seasoned performers or up-and-comers, these shows are a great way to guarantee a night full of laughs.
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A-LIST COMEDY SAMPLER
Last year, Lawrence Mooney was regaling festival-goers with his send-up of then-PM Malcolm Turnbull. He returns — this time as himself — to host a line-up of the world’s hottest rising comedians.
It is the perfect chance to get a taste of what to see at the Comedy Festival — catching a short set from some of the best in the business.
A-List Comedy Sampler, April 1&8, Athenaeum Theatre. Book tickets
HEADLINERS (US)
Late-night TV talk shows and the comedy club circuit are a hotbed of comedic talent in the US.
Headliners brings a host of these outstanding stars back to Comedy Festival with a dynamic line-up.
This year’s Headliners are Jo Firestone, Emmy Blotnick and Joel Kim Booster (March 28-April 7); Langston Kerman (April 9-21); Liza Treyger and Samantha Ruddy (April 9-14); and Chris Redd and Sam Jay (April 16-21).
Jo Firestone: Rolling Stone has described Brooklyn-based Jo Firestone as “one of the most whimsical, woolliest and most prolific comedy minds on the East coast”. A pun enthusiast, Firestone has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as well as her own half-hour special recorded for Comedy Central. Watch Jo Firestone here.
Emmy Blotnick: New York-based stand-up and writer Emmy Blotnick was chosen as one of Comedy Central’s Comics to Watch and a New Face at Just For Laughs in Montreal. She is currently a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Watch Emmy Blotnick here.
Joel Kim Booster: The Chicago-bred Joel Kim Booster was recently named on Forbe’s 30 Under 20 list, which highlights the next generation of talent. He was a part of the Headliners ensemble last year and is back, with appearances on Conan and his own stasnd-up special for Comedy Central under his belt. Watch Joel Kim Booster here.
Langston Kerman: A proud comic and slam-poet and not-so-proud “failed NBA ball boy”, Langston Kerman has appeared on HBO’s Insecure, Seth Rogen’s Singularity and Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party. Watch Langston Kerman here.
Liza Treyger: With appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers and Chelsea Lately, Liza Treyger’s blunt, ruthless honesty proved a hit with festival-goers two years ago. Now, the New York comedian is back to tell it like it is. Watch Liza Treyger here.
Samantha Ruddy: With her clean, light-hearted take on comedy, Samantha Ruddy hosts the weekly show, Too Many Cooks, in New York. She is coming off her recent debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Watch Samantha Ruddy here.
Chris Redd: As a current cast member on Saturday Night Live and Netflix’s Disjointed, Chris Redd is the everywhere man of the moment. The St. Louis native nails impressions of the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Wesley Snipes. Watch Chris Redd here.
Sam Jay: Sam Jay is an Emmy-nominated writer for Saturday Night Live, who draws on her own experiences as a gay African American woman in her stand-up shows. She has appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail to her name. Watch Sam Jay here.
Headliners, March 28-April 21, Max Watt’s. Book tickets
THE COMEDY ZONE
Plucked from five Australian states and territories, The Comedy Zone delivers a cracking quintet high on homegrown hilarity. Catch them now before their take off into the comedy stratosphere.
Bec Melrose (NSW): After clinching the grand prize at RAW Comedy 2018, Bec Melrose competed at So You Think You’re Funny? at Edinburgh Fringe. Melrose has written for ABC TV’s Tonightly with Tom Ballard.
Ben Kochan (NSW): Ben Kochan has featured on Comedy Central’s Little Nippers and on ABC2’s Be Your Own Boss alongside Becky Lucas and Cameron James.
Charity Werk (VIC): The charming and sassy queen of the RAW Comedy State Finals last year, Charity Werk hosts Melbourne’s monthly Glitter Bomb.
David Woodhead (NT): David Woodhead was a national finalist in RAW Comedy three years ago and stars in ABC TV’s upcoming season of Black Comedy.
Emma Holland (ACT): A RAW Comedy runner-up in 2018, Chortle in the UK hailed Emma Holland as “sparkling with wit”.
The Comedy Zone, March 28-April 21, Trades Hall, The Meeting Room. Book tickets
BEST OF EDINBURGH FEST
It’s a triple dose of comedy when three of the Edinburgh Fringe’s hottest rising stars join forces. This year, a pair of Englishmen — Jimmy McGhie and new star Kelsey De Almeida — and Canada’s John Hastings complete the line-up.
Jimmy McGhie: Jimmy McGhie has twice performed at Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Oxfam Galas as well as appearances on BBC Three’s Live at the Electric. Watch Jimmy McGhie here.
Kelsey De Almeida: The 23-year-old Kelsey De Almeida has supported UK comedy heavyweight Stephen K Amos on four tours and has recorded a stand-up set that was then broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
John Hastings: A regular at all the major comedy festivals around the world, Canada’s John Hastings is back after being hit by a car and breaking his arm in 2018. Watch John Hastings here.
Best of Edinburgh Fest, March 28-April 21, ACMI Beyond. Book tickets
INDIAN ALL-STAR COMEDY SHOWCASE
The sharpest stand-up, improv stars and YouTube sensations from the subcontinent are back for a third year, with all shows performed in English.
This year’s showcase includes:
Anuvab Pal: The first Indian to perform at London’s Comedy Store, Anuvab Pal’s screenplay, Loins of Punjab, is the highest-growwing Indian English comedy film of all time. The BBC dubbed Pal as “India’s answer to British wit”. Watch Anuvab Pal here.
Kaneez Surka: One of India’s first female improvisers, Kaneez Surka is also a sketch and stand-up comedian. Watch Kaneez Surka here.
Naveen Richard: Naveen Richard pulls off perfect impersonations of anyone from your cab driver to your landlady. His quintessential character, Uncle Francis, has a cult following in India. Watch Naveen Richard here.
Sonali Thakker: The self-deprecating Mumbai-based Sonali Thakker recently proved her parents wrong by touring her debut show Almost There across India to widespread acclaim. Watch Sonali Thakker here.
Indian All-Star Comedy Showcase, April 19-21, Arts Centre and The Forum, Book tickets.
NEW ORDER (UK, IRELAND)
They made their big breakthrough in their Edinburgh Fringe debuts. Now, these four bold newcomers of the British and irish comedy scene and dishing out the laughs in Melbourne.
Catherine Bohart: Award-winning Irish comedian Catherine Bohart earned rave reviews for her tales of being the bisexual, OCD daughter of a Catholic deacon. Watch Catherine Bohart here.
Chris Washington: The Wigan-born Chris Washington was nominated for Best Newcomer Award for his Edinburgh debut two years ago. Watch Chris Washington here.
Mawaan Rizwan: An accomplished writer, actor and comedian, Pakistan-born, London-based Mawaan Rizwan has more than 18 million views on his YouTube channel. Watch Marwaan Rizwan here.
Rosie Jones: Bridlington-born Rosie Jones picked up second place in the Leicester Mercury’s New Comedian Of The Year Award last year and wen on to star on Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Adam Hill’s The Last Leg. Watch Rosie Jones here.
New Order (UK, Ireland), March 28-April 21, Melbourne Town Hall. Book tickets.
COMEDY ZONE ASIA
Comedy Zone Asia is back on the billing for the fifth straight year with five comedians from Indian, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ready to take you on a culture trip.
Anirban Dasgupta (India): Having ditched his job as a corporate salesman, Kolkata-born Anirban Dasgupta has headlined at major comedy clubs and festivals around India and released his first special Take It Easy on Amazon Prime Video.
Joanne Kam (Malaysia): Malaysia’s comedy queen has been filling threatres and hosting Kuala Lumpur’s first cabaret club, Boom Boom Boom, for more than 25 years, as well as appearing on HBO series Grisse.
Fakkah Fuzz (Singapore): The fast-rising Fakkah Fuzz became the first Singaporean to have an hour-long Netflix special, Almost Banned.
Sonali Thakker (India): The self-deprecating Mumbai-based Sonali Thakker recently toured her debut show Almost There across India to widespread acclaim.
Zainal Bostaman (Brunei): Brunei-born Zainal Bostaman is a regular on the South-East Asian comedy circuit, as well as performing in the US and the UK.
Comedy Zone Asia, Chinese Museum, March 28-April 21. Book tickets
ALL AROUND THE WORLD: THE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY SHOWCASE
For the past four years, Around The World has sold out runs at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Frige and Perth Fringe World.
And little wonder. The showcase is a sample of four of the festival’s favourite international comedians, with something different every night.
Melbourne’s resident British comic Terry North is the host.
All Around the World: The International Comedy Showcase, March 27-April 21, Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Book tickets
AAAAAAAARGH! A BONANZA OF FESTIVAL COMEDY FROM THE UK!
After sells-out shows in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Singapore, Edinburgh and Brighton, the bonanza is back for its sixth year.
Host Nik Coppin will introduce four different international comedians each night — all of which have appeared at Laughing Horse shows in the UK, Europe, Asia, the US and Australia.
Aaaaaaaargh! A Bonanza of Festival Comedy, March 27-April 21, Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Book tickets
INFECTIOUS 2019
For one show only, an all-star mystery line-up puts comedy under the microscope, with all proceeds going to medical research at Burnet Institute.
Previous years have sold out, with the likes of Becky Lucas, Celia Pacquola, Danielle Walker, Luke McGregor, Matt Okine and Rhys Nicholson haing appeared.
Infectious 2019, April 15, Chapel Off Chapel. Book tickets.
What to see at the comedy festival this weekend
From a big-name benefit in support of Christchurch terror victims to a chat show with a difference, these are the best offerings at the Melbourne comedy festival this weekend.
Who’s firing at the comedy festival?
We’ve just passed the halfway mark of the 33rd Melbourne comedy festival. Mikey Cahill takes us through the bangers and clangers so far — who has excelled or repelled?