Recommended and Previously Reviewed shows at Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Here Comes Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2019! There are more shows than EVER before and we Squirrels are here to help.

We have a list of all the shows we’ve previously reviewed and also a few that we’re excited about or keen to recommend.

The Aspie Hour had a short run at 2018 The Melbourne Writers Festival. It was a fabulous musical comedy in two parts by two brilliantly talented performers who apparently are both on a spectrum. It’s top notch comedy cabaret for those who love Broadway with laughs.

The Fringe Wives Club has welcomed new members and has grown from 3 to 5 performers. Last year we all rushed out to see Glittery Clittery and adored the crowdpleasing feminist cabaret, but we didn’t manage a review, sorry but the simple review is: We all LOVED it. This year we’ll be rushing to see their new show Glittergrass and make sure we review it.

Tom Ballard is being very busy after having his ABC show Tonightly cancelled. He’s jumped into the festival with gusto. As well as his own show, Enough, which is having a full season run, Tom will be hosting one of the political Tuesday nights at the Festival Club and most intriguingly he’s written a satirical political play called KWANDA. It’s about a Monday night political panel show but it’s not about QandA at all. No. Of course not.

Demi Lardner and Tom Walker both have solo shows again this year, but they have also teamed up to perform We Mustn’t and it’s bound to be weird, wonderful and hilarious.

Don’t forget to check out the alternate guide to the Festival:
The Safety House Guide.
Says creator and stand up comedian Lisa-Skye:
The Safety House Guide is a free magazine featuring nearly 100 of the best acts of the fest. Safe, but never tame, it’s not about censorship, it’s about empowering audiences to make the right decisions about the shows for them. It gives more info about stuff like content, access and the level of audience participation. It also has fun stuff like letters from comedians to their potential audience, info on workshops and quizzes. Grab your free copy around town, or at the launch!

Sam Simmons is a late entry to MICF with his new show 26 Things You’ve Been Doing Wrong with Sam Simmons suddenly be added to the Festival program.

On the down side some performers have already cancelled….But NOT……Tom Cashman XYZ, we read that he had but he has NOT cancelled. Go see him!

Shows that have been Cancelled:

Ronny Chieng has had to bow out due to being cast in a sitcom in pilot season in the US. We wish him all the success, but worry he may be too successful to perform here again… He has rescheduled his Australian shows for July.

Benny Darsow Ad Lib

Charlie Pickering Us & Them

The Elvis Dead by Rob Kemp,

Let’s Get Wild

One Man Breaking Bad by Miles Allen

Thomas McMahon and Nick Quon Total Business Solution

Blanc (That weird fashion circussy thing at Chadstone)

And NOW, Finally…..

Previously Reviewed shows – and links to our reviews:

Annie Louey – Before I Forget

Melbourne Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13164

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/annie-louey-before-i-forget

Barnie Juancan – Tap Head

Melbourne Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13221

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/tap-head

Bunk Puppets – Stark and Dormy

Melbourne Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13151

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/stark-and-dormy

Clare Cavanagh – Literally

Melbourne Fringe: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13192

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/clare-cavanagh-literally

Chloe Black – Transistor Sister

Melbourne Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13202

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/transistor-sister

Felicity Ward – Busting a Nut

Edinburgh Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=12927

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/busting-a-nut

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience

Edinburgh Fringe 2008: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=1633

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/faulty-towers-the-dining-experience

The Breast of The Fest

MICF 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=12624

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/the-breast-of-the-fest

The Dizzy Biz – The 2007 Wonthaggi Blue Light Disco

Melbourne Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13180

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/the-2007-wonthaggi-blue-light-disco

Wool! A History of Australia’s Wool Industry: The Musical by Kit Richards

Melbourne Fringe 2018: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13145

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/wool-a-history-of-australia-s-wool-industry-the-musical

Ross Purdy in Kentucky Fried God Murder

1) Following on from last year’s “Clownbaby”, Ross Purdy is upping the ante as if it needed to be upped but he’s upping it anyway. “Surreal” or “absurdist” doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of this insanity. “Dadaist” maybe?

2) Not for the faint of the heart, for the real freaks who wanna get amongst it. So if you’re a real freak who loves getting amongst it, here’s the it to amongst.

3) Someone FINALLY makes fun of Christianity.

4) A brand new adorable baby-like character the festival will fall in love with!

5) Adelaide critics say “Like Lars Von Trier and David Lynch tried to out-mindf*** each other” and that Purdy goes “full Brando in Apocalypse Now” and is “just waiting to see which Dennis Hopper comes out of the jungle to tag along” which means you – the audience, which by my perspective is better than being Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet.

Kentucky Fried God Murder is on at The Tickle Pit at The Croft from March 27 to April 6
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/kentucky-fried-god-murder

5 Good Reasons To See Phill Davies in Marveled: An Original Parody Cabaret

1. Through this show, I will bring you up to date with where we’re at in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all while I dress up in more superhero costumes than Infinity Stones.

2. We’ve got a whole band! That’s right, not just a solo piano, but a full 5 piece ensemble. And one of our Band Members have never seen a Marvel film, so you’ll probably know more about Marvel than he does!

3. We’re in the super nice Studio Theatre at Gasworks Arts Park in Albert Park! Literally just a short tram ride from the CBD!

4. We have a Disney song in the show like you’ve never heard before, and who doesn’t like a little Disney.

5. We have a Hulk.

Marveled is on at Gasworks Arts Park from April 9 to 13
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/marveled-an-original-parody-cabaret

5 Good Reasons To See Paradise! A Cool & Smart Show

1. I don’t know how else to put this. It’s funny as fuck. It’s about two guys, Barney and Matt, who think they’re going to Paradise. They’re not (surprise). There are myriad bodily fluids involved and the show is a meditation on the power of forgiveness.

2. Seriously, people agree with us. We took this dumb thing to Perth and we sold out a bunch of shows and got a couple of sweet ★★★★ reviews. People keep comparing us to The Mighty Boosh.

3. You’ve got to be on board by now. If not, it means you miss out on an hour of genuinely alarming chemistry. We’re on the same wavelength so hard it’s crazy. We exude a powerful energy – a thick comedy vibe.

4. Come on, it’s gonna be fun. Ben Russell, our director, has produced some of the best MICF shows of recent years – like The Tokyo Hotel and Nö Shöw, or the podcast The Grub – and he reckons it’s funny too.

5. Really? You’ll come?! Thankyou so much. Barney’s theatre-making degree from WAAPA and Matt’s five years of stand-up comedy might actually have all been worth it. See you at Trades Hall!! 😘

Paradise! A Cool & Smart Show is on at Trades Hall from March 28 to April 7
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/paradise-a-cool-smart-show

5 Good Reasons To See Marina Margarita in Odette: Baby Daddy!

1. Unpretentious, upbeat, unadulterated FUN! The perfect way to round off an evening of comedy.

2. Odette’s emotional renditions of 80s, 90s & MT classics will feed your soul.

3. You’ll never guess the plot twists!

4. Odette was nominated for the Best Comedy Award at Perth Fringe World 2018.

5. Unruly boobs and potential water breakage – are you ready to catch?

Odette: Baby Daddy! is on at The Butterfly Club from March 26 to April 4
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/odette

5 Good Reasons To See Space Force

1. In 2018, Australia established a Space Agency and you must educate yourself.

2. All of us are vaccinated. Bar one. Guess who it is!

3. Help.

4. We are very close to Melbourne Town Hall, and more importantly, emotionally very close to our mothers. Bar one. Guess who.

5. The cast are five experienced comedians who will probably never get to wear space suits again. Watch them sweat.

Space Force is on at the TIC Annex Theatre from March 28 through to April 7
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/space-force-au