Ali McGregor – Squirrel Comedy

Welcome to Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2023

It’s that Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Comedy Christmas!! Melbourne is chockers full of comedians and comedy fans all excited about the three weeks to come.

It’s hard to recommend shows, as everyone’s taste will vary, but I assure you that the Festival will have something to make YOU laugh, there are over 600 shows to choose from! You just have to find Your thing and that is part of what we Squirrels are about, helping you have a great night out. Our reviews can give you an idea if a show might be for you. Sometimes I can even read a negative review and think, no actually, that one might just be my cup of tea. That’s why it can also be great to take a punt on something new if it piques your interest.

I can definitely see a mini trend of musical comedy being back So I thought I might focus on this genre of comedy and list some acts that I can honestly recommend to you as astonishingly talented and funny performers. They have to be brilliant musicians, singers AND Comedians to really pull off Musical Comedy well and they can come at it from different perspectives be they political, geeky, storytelling, raunchy or just plain silly.

Recommended Musical Comedy Shows at MICF 2023

I’ll start with the well known superstars of Musical Comedy: Tripod, Sammy J – Good Hustle, Geraldine Quinn – Broad, Gillian Cosgriff – Actually, Good, Die Roten Punkte – Otto & Astrid’s Joint Solo Project (directed by Neill Gladwin and Dramaturg Casey Bennetto), Andrew Hansen –Is Cheap [The one from The Chaser who sang the songs]. (Do Lano & Woodley count as musical comedians? I have a CD of their songs….so maybe.) You just cannot go wrong choosing to see any of these amazing accomplished performers.

Newer local upcoming stars that everyone was talking about at last year’s festival include Reuben Kaye – doing 2 shows this year; Live and Intimidating and The Kay Hole, Michelle Brasier – Legacy, Gabbi Bolt – Odd Sock and Jude Perl (with Nina Oyama) We should Hang Out –[ it is Sold Out right now, hoping for an extra show]

There are also Cabaret Showcases such as Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night, Josh Earl’s 100%Hits and of course Haus Party at The Festival Club where the cream of the musical comedians (and other comedy stylings) will be turning up for spots.

Overseas musical comedians who may be new to you are visiting our shores in Festival season, here are some who are really worth checking out: UK’s Huge Davies [he’s dry and super cool, and part of New Order], Jordan Gray – Is It A Bird? [Ed Fringe Nominee pipped out of the top prize by our own Sam Campell] and Laurie Black – Dystopiano [doing feminist post punk synth comedy], I’ve seen them all, they’re great.

New Zealand’s Two Hearts We’re Pregnant and The Baby is Music, I think I’ve enjoyed them at a Festival Club….

Then there is Ned Kelly The Big Gay Musical by Kaine which is the only one I’m recommending that I’ve seen this before, but it looks like it might be jolly fun.

Other comedy at MICF.

Older school comedians coming to the Festival who you may not have seen do a show in a few years include Ed Byrne, Dylan Moran, Kyle Kinane, and our own Paul McDermott, Tony Martin, Bev Killick, Brad Oaks & even Akmal is back.

Political Comedy is popular too with Tom Ballard doing 2 shows, A Rational Fear doing 1 big show and Sammy J doing it via character comedy. Melissa MGlansey’s The Briefing (About maddening US politics – which is awesome, check it out). Osher Gunsberg Night Time News Network National News, is a curiosity we’re all wondering about, will it be political comedy? Or just a news lampoon, anyway it involves impro. Ben Russell, Greg Larsen & Friends are laying their politics out there with Election Results (Not Satire), they couldn’t be clearer, could they?

In Other News

European Bier Cafe has been renovated, re-named and is now called Morris House.
Some shows are already sold out or selling fast, new shows have been added for Sam Campbell, Tony Martin and Maisie Adams.
Cancelled shows are listed at the top of the list of shows on the MICF website.

If you know of shows cancelling or selling out, feel free to let us know on the socials or by email.

MICF 2021 Shows we’ve previously Reviewed

Well.

Hello Everybodeeeee!

It’s been a while and we’ve been through the wars and semi hibernation and discovered online live comedy

BUT

isn’t it great to have live comedy back with us! We’re feeling pretty lucky to be able to have a Melbourne International Comedy Festival, much reduced though it will be. We are already pretty excited about so many shows (live and virtual) this year!

And Yes we will be going out to taste the delights of the Festival to report back on What’s Going On.

As always we begin our coverage with a list of shows in this year’s festival that we have already seen, along with links to our thoughts about them. As usual we give the disclaimer that festival shows are ever evolving entities so they will certainly have changed since we sat in the audience.

Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night

Here’s Lisa’s review from Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2016:

Always a wonderful way to catch some of the best quirky acts from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival handpicked by our gorgeous host.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9937

Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night is on at The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne Fri – Sun throughout the Festival

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/ali-mcgregor-s-late-nite-variety-night

Best of British

Here’s James’ review from Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017:

Down a quick pint, strap yourself in and go nuts. You’ll have a wonderful time.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=11235

Best of British is on at Exford Hotel from March 24 to April 18

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/best-of-british

The Breast of the Fest

Here’s Jess’s review from Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2019:

It’s a refreshing show, with each of the comics bringing something different to the evening, but all bringing more than a few laughs.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13671

The Breast of the Fest is on at Trades Halle from March 25 to April 4

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/the-breast-of-the-fest

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience

Here is Ron’s review from Edinburgh Fringe 2008:

This was one of the most madcap and fun packed dining experiences I can recall. I laughed so hard my jaw is aching.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=1633

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is on at The Duke of Wellington Hotel from April 8 – 18
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/faulty-towers-the-dining-experience

Impromptunes : The Completely Improvised Musical

Here’s Hooi’s review from Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2018:

A charming show that showcases the improvisational and musical talents of the performers… absolutely engrossing.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=12663

The Completely Improvised Musical is on at Trades Hall from April 5 to 18

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/impromptunes

Matt Harvey : I Got Bit by a Monkey Once

Here’s Peter’s review from Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2019:

Matt’s show is intimate and warm. It’s rather like listening to a friend telling you stories about their recent travels.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=13806

I Got Bit by a Monkey Once is on at Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets from March 31 to April 11

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/matt-harvey

Scout Boxall : Good Egg

Here is Colin’s review from Melbourne Fringe 2019:

Scout has the funny bones to pull off anything vaguely comedic with an ease and comfort on stage…

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=14366

Good Egg is on at Trades Hall from March 25 to April 4

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/scout-boxall-good-egg

Southplayers: Completely Improvised Shakespeare

Here is Lisa’s review from Melbourne Fringe 2015:

A band of merrie players you can put your trust in for a fun night of storytelling and making stuffe up.

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9433

Completely Improvised Shakespeare is on at Trades Hall from April 5 to 18
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/soothplayers

Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night

By Lisa Clark

This is the tenth year of Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night and it’s still going strong in the Spiegeltent at the Arts Centre. Always a wonderful way to catch some of the best quirky acts from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival handpicked by our gorgeous host.

Ali delights us with her spine tingling takes on gorgeous songs in between reclining on her Chaise Longue to enjoy the work of her Guests. The Guests are mostly inclined towards Cabaret, clever circus or quirky standup. Ali is supported by a delightful Jazz band who enjoy the show as well.

We had current cabaret sensation Gillian Cosgrove doing a few numbers at the piano, including one about yoga. She’s fabulous and my friend has recently become a massive fan since seeing her current show at the festival.

Jan Van de Stool, a character who would not be out of place in an episode of Kath and Kim, who usually apparently teaches singing, provides a little variety by dragging two teams of audience members on stage and have them compete at peeling and eating an apple. The joke was that this was an actual game described in a vintage “Party Games for Adults” book and it was as stupid and pointless as it sounds. Jan doesn’t do this in her own show which is a relief, but the audience enjoyed it and she carried it off.

Mario Queen of the Circus was Queen’s biggest fan and is a much sharper level of comedy character. Dressed as Freddy Mercury, an outrageous flirt and brilliant juggler, his act was clever, slick, weird and surprisingly wildly entertaining.

Tim Vine pummelled us with an avalanche of his brilliant one-liners then did the breathtaking Pen Behind the Ear bit with success. Hussah!

The highlight of the evening though, returning to Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night, was Asher Treleaven. In the past he has been her faithful butler Saxon McCallister, tonight he was The Sexual Gentleman and gave us the most impressive and sexy juggling (of the diablo) I’ve ever seen and one of his best readings of a Mills & Boon ever. It had the audience, the band and Ali howling with laughter.

It can be really hard to give or take a recommendation for a MICF show worth seeing. It depends on each person’s taste, but if you like your comedy on the offbeat and a bit of top class cabaret you are going to have a great time and hopefully become a fan of a new act and go see their full show.

Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night is showing on weekends at The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne

For more informations see the MICF website:

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/late-nite-variety-nite-night-ali-mcgregor-s