Category: 5 good reasons

In the lead up and during the Festivals we cover, we ask Comedians to give us 5 good reasons to come and see their show!

5 Good Reasons to see Wander Women

1. It’s is the only travel-themed sketch show in the Comedy Festival.

2. It’s written, produced and performed by 3 funny and fierce Melbourne comedians, Lauren Bok (Channel 31’s Live on Bowen), Chelsea Hughes (RAW Comedy State Finalist 2014) and Megan Mckay (RAW Comedy National Finalist 2013). That’s right – a Triple Threat!

3. The show will give a definitive ruling on the age old packing debate over whether you should pack or roll your clothes.

4. You will get to see three completely untrained women do a ballet.

5. It’s on early in the evening so you’ll have plenty of time to watch lots of other comedy festival shows!

Wander Woman is on at The Portland Hotel

 Read more about the show and buy tickets on the Comedy Festival website:

5 Good Reasons to see: Tomás Ford – Electric Cabaret

1. It’s a thrill ride of oddball electronic music and cabaret that shouldn’t work, but does. Until it doesn’t, when it really doesn’t. Which is when it gets good.

2. I built this show up touring Australian punk rock pubs for years; it’s been polished through some pretty extreme audience reactions. It still gets them. They are fun to watch.

3. I worry that your night at Comedy Festival will be predictable. Let me fix that. This show can go anywhere.

4. The show has won Best WA Cabaret at Fringe World, five star reviews from Time Out London and Three Weeks, and a nomination for Best Edinburgh Cabaret.

5. Your Mum would say I have a nice voice but she wonders why I do all the “other stuff”. You will think that other stuff is the funniest bit.

Tomás Ford Performs Electric Cabaret at The Tuxedo Cat

For information and bookings check the MICF website:

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/electric-cabaret-tomas-ford

5 Good Reasons to see Heidi O’Loughlin: A Woman Talking

1) FREE CHAIRS
I don’t wanna start slagging off those other shows in the Festival, but mine definitely has free seating. My producer was super against it, but I want you guys to be comfy, no expense spared.

2) FREE DINNER
*Bring a plate

3) OKAY APPARENTLY ALL SHOWS HAVE CHAIRS
My bad guys. I’ll make it up to you with at least 2 extra good jokes.

4) I DON’T MAKE FALSE PROMISES
My show is called ‘A Woman Talking’, and I can personally guarantee I will deliver on this by being a woman and talking for (up to) one hour.

5) NEW ZEALAND
I’m from New Zealand and normally do that FanFiction show. It can be tough for a foreigner, so I think it’s only right you adopt me like you did with Crowded House and Phar Lap. I will win you the Melbourne Cup before I’m poisoned by Mexicans.

Heidi O’Loughlin A Woman Talking is on at The Tuxedo Cat. For more information and bookings, visit the website:
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/a-woman-talking-heidi-o-loughlin

5 Good reasons to see Trygve Wakenshaw: NAUTILUS

1) it’s made by Trygve Wakenshaw who’s previous show KRAKEN absolutely killed it in international festivals where people have class and refined tasted and did moderately well in Perth where people are from West Australia.

2) there’s a great scene in it.

3) it’s nearly entirely mimed. No more having to listen to some hack stand-up comedians telling jokes.

4) it will make you feel cool to be one of the first people in the world to see this show.

5) it’s quite likely to be nominated for a Barry Award (judging by Trygve’s track record).

Trygve Wakenshaw: NAUTILUS is on at The Tuxedo Cat. For Bookings and information go to the website:
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/nautilus-trygve-wakenshaw

5 Good Reasons to see: DR PROFESSOR NEAL PORTENZA – Catchy Show Title

1. It’s interactive, but not in the frightening ‘OMFG DON’T LET HIM LOOK AT ME’ kind of way. More in the ‘I USE THE AUDIENCE TO CREATE UNIQUE MOMENTS FOR THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT’ and ‘OH COOL WE HAVE ALL THE POWER’ way.

2. It’s extremely fun. Less fun than the first time you tried a Nintendo Wii, but more fun than the following activities:
Being stung by a bee/bees
Staring into the sun for 6 minutes because your older cousin Jake convinced you it’s good for your health when you were four
Waiting for your indecisive friend to decide between a Pad Thai or a Chilli Thai Basil Beef Stir-Fry at your local Thai restaurant
Food poisoning
Rollerblading on a gravelly surface

3. If you’ve never seen a Neal Portenza show, it’s like having a brain explosion fired from a comedy laser beam. If you have seen a Neal Portenza show, there are a host of new characters, and retrospective apologies for the aforementioned brain explosion.

4. Once, during a performance in Edinburgh, I made a girl laugh so hard that she had to be hospitalised for rupturing something in her stomach. This sounds made up, but isn’t, and though I feel awful, I also feel powerful for using the power of comedy to hospitalise someone. She’s fine now.

5. It’s a unique, interactive, funny, bizarre, original and fun experience. If everything goes according to plan, and occasionally when it doesn’t (because it mostly doesn’t) then you should leave with sore cheeks from laughing. Comedy is subjective though, and you may not like my show. I’m honest like that. In that sense, it’s like gambling. You can put $23 on red at the local casino, or you can take a $23 punt on a maniacal idiot. Either way, you’re probably not getting that $23 back. Thank-you for your time and have a prosperous life.

DR PROFESSOR Neal Portenza performs his Catchy Show Title at the Melbourne Town Hall
For Bookings and information go to the website:
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/catchy-show-title-dr-professor-neal-portenza-s

5 Good Reasons to see Susie Youssef’s Owl Eyes On You

1) MICF will see the World Premiere of Susie Youssef’s second solo show, Owl Eyes On You

2) Last year she stormed the fest with her debut show, Sketchual Chocolate, and critics said –
‘This girl knows her skit.’ Herald Sun

‘Hallmarks of a Tina Fey production.’ The Age

‘Sketch comedy is such a hard thing to do right, but Susie Youssef has nailed it.’ The Music

3) Susie was the lead actor in the Hayloft Project’s The Boat People which won Best On Stage at the FBi SMAC Awards this year

4) It’s a rare sketch/stand-up hybrid show like no other

5) Her Dad said “It’s unique and refreshing entertainment and will leave you wanting more” – and Susie’s Dad is an honest dude.

Susie Youssef is performing Owl Eyes On You at ACMI – Games Room

For Bookings and information see the MICF website:

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/owl-eyes-on-you-susie-youssef