By Tyson Wray
Garry Starr (aka Damien Warren-Smith) has taken home the top gong at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, winning the Most Outstanding Show award on Saturday for Classic Penguins.
The show, which the Philippe Gaulier-trained clown performs in nothing but a tuxedo jacket, flippers and his signature Elizabethan ruff as he pummels through the entire catalogue of the titular publishing house with an avalanche of puns and physical lunacy, was relentlessly praised by critics from The Age.
Garry Starr (Damien Warren-Smith) has won the Most Outstanding Show award.Credit: Penny Stephens
“Most Outstanding Show doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best show, it just stood out,” he said after being announced the winner by previous recipient and host Geraldine Hickey. “Probably because I didn’t wear pants.”
It also marks a remarkable festival trifecta, as the show also took home the best comedy awards at Perth Fringe World in January and Adelaide Fringe Festival in March. He will now take the show to Sydney and Brisbane alongside a regional tour, before returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for an encore run.
In a post eight months ago on X, I made the prediction: “Garry Starr’s show ‘Penguin Classics’ will at the least score a nomination for Most Outstanding Show at [Melbourne International Comedy Festival] next year, if not win.”
Warren-Smith was one of nine nominees given the nod from the clandestine judging panel, beating out Ahir Shah’s Ends, Brett Blake’s Little Turd, Flo and Joan’s One Man Musical, Greg Larsen’s Geggy, Lou Wall’s Breaking The Fifth Wall, Olga Koch’s Comes From Money, Rahul Subramanian’s Who Are You? and Scout Boxall’s God’s Favourite.
It wasn’t all bad news for Boxall, however, as God’s Favourite won the Pinder Prize, which comes with funding to take the show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in July.
The Best Newcomer award, which in the past has launched the careers of Josh Thomas, Ronny Chieng and Sammy J, went to Jessica Barton for their show Dirty Work. Named after the late Lynda Gibson, The Golden Gibbo was won by Kate Dolan for The Critic. The award celebrates independent acts that pursue artistic creativity rather than chasing strictly financial gain.
The Directors’ Choice, chosen by festival head Susan Provan in consultation with festival programmers, was split this year – going to both Dan Rath for Tropical Depression and to doctor-comedian Noah Szto for Med School.
“I want to thank my girlfriend for living with a mental patient,” said Rath in his usual neurotic rambling style, which was as much of a therapy session as an acceptance speech. “It’s a good thing I’m performing this show in the Swiss Club – as they’ve weaponised their neutrality.”
For the fourth time, the People’s Choice Award for most tickets sold is heading overseas with Urzila Carlson. “The people have spoken,” she said in a recorded video. “Lesbians are hot again. I want to thank my management and my family, but not Jesus, as he’s not real.”
The Piece of Wood comics’ choice award – a literal piece of wood that was found by Greg Fleet on the street and is bitten into by past winners and passed onto a comic for literally “doin’ good stuff ‘n’ that” – went to Australia’s king of deadpan recollections, Daniel Connell.
There were 7718 performances across 184 stages at this year’s festival – with an extra 341 shows added due to demand, making it one of the largest incarnations of the laugh fest since its inception in 1987.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on now until Sunday, April 20. The Age is a festival media partner.