Tag: Ethan Cavanagh

Sweeney Preston & Ethan Cavanagh – Presentation Is Everything

Reviewed by Bren Carruthers

Melbourne’s best-dressed comedy duo return to the stage for the aptly-named Presentation is Everything, after a sold-out debut show at last year’s Comedy Festival. Not just a reference to the clean-cut and sharp-suited stylings that Ethan Cavanagh and Sweeney Preston have been making their trademark, this show plays with a much-derided medium – the humble PowerPoint presentation.

Multimedia has had a big renaissance at this year’s festival – possibly a hangover from a few too many Zoom meetings during lockdown – but few shows have quite blended stage and screen as Presentation is Everything. Undoubtedly crafted as a live performance, the presentation itself takes a starring role and includes more than 600 transitions, covering both the best and worst that the ubiquitous software has to offer.

Although the format is perfect for delivering a wealth of quick-fire punchlines, it is the longer form anecdotes that are the highlight of the show. Ethan’s adventure in country Victoria, which approaches True Crime levels, is as heartwarming as it is hilarious, and a prolific misunderstanding about their “working relationship” gracefully delivers plenty of giggles.

It’s a delight to see two relatively-new comedians play with format, expanding and challenging their repertoire, a testament to both their talent and their diligence. Keep this duo in mind for future festivals – Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh are two fresh faces going places.

Presentation Is Everything has completed its run, but Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh will host one last performance of The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase at Trades Hall on Saturday April 23

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2022/shows/the-late-nite-powerpoint-comedy-showcase

5 Good Reasons to See The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase

1. This show will be a first-of-its-kind at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Witness history in the making.

2. The absolutely stacked lineup will feature comedians from MICF’s The Gala & Allstars Supershow as well as Melbourne Comedy Festival award nominees & Melbourne Fringe award winners.

3. It will be MC’d by Melbourne comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh who intend to ‘wipe’, ‘swivel’ and ‘random bars’ their way into your hearts.

4. The show will be performed at Melbourne’s famous Trades Hall in response to both Sweeney and Ethan’s parents pleading with them to both learn a trade.

5. A picture says a thousand words, and with more slides than Wet’n’Wild, The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase offers more words per dollar than any other show in the Festival.

The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase is on at Trades Hall Fridays & Saturdays at 10pm Apr 8 – 23

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2022/shows/the-late-nite-powerpoint-comedy-showcase

5 Good Reasons to See Presentation is Everything – An Hour of Power(Point Comedy) 

1. Presentation is Everything is the antidote to every bland lecture, dull pitch and boring presentation you’ve ever had to endure. Come and heal.

2. Sweeney & Ethan just finished a sold out run at the Adelaide Fringe where they swear they went for a comedy tour and not a wine tour(s).

3. The show will be performed at Loop Bar Melbourne – a venue that literally has more indoor house plants than chairs. Zen/10.

4. This Microsoft PowerPoint show is the only festival gig where you can say “I think Bill Gates is behind this” and not sound conspiratorial.

5. The first few shows are very nearly sold out so get in quick. They’d hate for you to have more technical difficulties buying tickets than Sweeney and Ethan did building this PowerPoint show.

Presentation is Everything – An Hour of Power(Point Comedy) is performed by Ethan Cavanagh and Sweeney Preston at Loop Project Space & Bar Wednesdays and Thursdays from March 30 but NOT the 14th!

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2022/shows/presentation-is-everything

5 Good Reasons To See Ethan Cavanagh & Sweeney Preston: Very Mature

1. PRICE. This is the cheapest we’ll ever be, ever. ($17-22). Either due to imminent success or more likely, inflation.

2. LEARNING. If you’re in your 20s, ever have been, or ever will be, this is the perfect how-to guide. Or rather, the perfect how-not-to guide.

3. ACCESSIBILITY. The material is relatively inoffensive. You can bring your mum, your friend’s mum, or your neighbour’s mum. Just don’t bring our mums, they’re sick of our shit.

4. SAFETY. We’re not gonna spend 10 minutes picking on you if you’re in the front. We’re like spiders, more terrified of you then you are of us.

5. CONTRIBUTING TO DIGGING US OUT OF A HOLE THAT WE, OURSELVES, CREATED. We drunkenly told a bunch of people from our high schools that we’re on an extensive national tour so we need to sell these tickets to visit more than two cities.

Ethan Cavanagh & Sweeney Preston perform Very Mature at Mantra on Russell from Mar 25 – 28 (short run get into it!)

Tickets Available Here:   https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/ethan-cavanagh-sweeney-preston

5 reason to see Sweeney Preston & Ethan Cavanagh in Very Mature

1. PRICE. This is the cheapest we’ll ever be, ever. ($17-20). Either due to imminent success or more likely, inflation.

2. LEARNING. If you’re in your 20s, ever have been, or ever will be, this is the perfect how-to guide. Or rather, the perfect how-not-to guide.

3. ACCESSIBILITY. The material is relatively inoffensive. You can bring your mum, your friend’s mum, or your neighbour’s mum. Just don’t bring our mums, they’re sick of our shit.

4. SAFETY. We’re not gonna spend 10 minutes picking on you if you’re in the front. We’re like spiders, more terrified of you then you are of us.

5. CONTRIBUTING TO DIGGING US OUT OF A HOLE THAT WE, OURSELVES, CREATED. We drunkenly told a bunch of people from our high schools that we’re on an extensive national tour so we need to sell these tickets to visit more than two cities.

Very Mature is on at Crowded In The Vaults from March 24 to March 29
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2020/shows/very-mature

Festive Season Comedy in Melbourne

Comedy for Christmas! Or Festivus! Or celebrating surviving 2018!

What a great idea for a festive get together with your comedy loving buddies.

Every year the comedy venues of Melbourne put on their Christmas shows and there are also quite a few one-off Christmas themed special shows happening. If you are not in Melbourne, check out the gig guides, some of these performers are touring and there should be similar nights happening in comedy clubs near you.

Here is the Squirrel Comedy annual End of Year – Christmas Gig list in roughly date order – of the local ones we could find out about
 

MON 26 Nov – SUN 2 Dec
A Very Kransky Christmas 

At Alex Theatre –  135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda at 7.30 pm

The Kransky Sisters are on a Christmas Tour of Australia and will grace Melbourne with their hilarious Gothic musical-comedy delights for three nights. (They are also touring Sydney and Perth)

Prices – Adult: $49.90 Conc: $44.90

Bookings: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=KRANSKY18

Sat 1 Dec
The Wheeler Centre Presents: Show of the Year

At The Athenaeum Theatre at 7pm

Host Casey ‘Tasty’ Bennetto And A Cast Of Writers, Comedians And Musicians, Including Mama Alto, Steph Tisdell, Shaun Micallef, Jan Fran, Michele Lee, Candy Bowers, WāNi Le Frère, Rebecca Shaw, Laura Jean Mckay And Alan Duffy.

https://www.wheelercentre.com/events/the-show-of-the-year-2018

Sat Dec 1 – 9.30pm
Jackie Lime’s Year End Rear End  

At The Improv Conspiracy Theatre

L1 / 19 Meyers Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000

The one and only Jackie Lime is back for his final appearance of 2018. Join Jackie, Indiana, Bitch Boy and a whole slew of special guests to celebrate a massive year with the Talkie Time family in an improvised kind of way.

Price $5 at the Door or $5.50 online to guarantee a seat.

Booking: https://www.improvconspiracy.com/shows/unit/2768/buy-tickets

Dec 6 – 7 – 9.30pm
The Chaser & The Shovel Presents: The War On 2018

At The Village Roadshow Theatrette – 179 La Trobe Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000

Join Charles Firth (The Chaser), James Schloeffel (The Shovel), Mark Humphries (Channel 10’s Pointless) And Special Guests To Be Announced As They Dissect Everything From The Leadership Crisis To The Banking Royal Commission.  (Also touring Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane)

Price: $34 – $104.04

Bookings: https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/the-war-on-2018-melbourneHzchcPM

Thurs 8 Dec at 7pm
Merry Salt-Mas! One Hour Of Improvised Christmas

At the Improve Conspiracy Theatre at 7pm

Help them ease into the silly season by suggesting something Christmassy to spring them into an hour of improvised comedy. The Heralayan Salt Lamps’ signature show involves creating a completely improvised show with 8 people on stage at once.

Price: $10

https://www.facebook.com/events/291125438188379/

Tues 11 Dec at 8pm
Catfish Comedy Christmas

At The Catfish upstairs, Fitzroy

Standup Comedy with Daniel Connell, Danielle Walker and Brett Blake  and more great acts To Be Confirmed

Doors open 7:30, $12 entry and don’t forget to try the Philly Cheesesteaks

Sat 15 Dec at 3pm
Don’t You Know Who I Am? 2018 XMAS SHOW

At The Catfish upstairs, Fitzroy

30 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy VIC 3056

Live podcast recording. The last live show of the year. An all-star cast raising money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation all hosted by Josh Earl from 3:00 PM

Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=446103

Mon 17 Dec at 8.30pm
Local Laughs XMAS SHOW

At The Local Taphouse 184 Carlisle St. St Kilda East

– MC Andrew McClelland, Cal Wilson, Tom Ballard, Sami Shah, Ethan Cavanagh, plus a host of special Christmassy guests.

Price: $25/20

Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=175052&

17, 19, 20, 21, 22 Dec at 7pm
A Christmas Tale – a Girls Act Good Production 

At The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

The all female Verbatim Theatre play that takes a comedic and heartfelt look at the Aussie festivities and celebrates how we can come together to remember the magic of Christmas. Yes! Verbatim Theatre! That is Funny! And about Christmas!

Bookings: https://thebutterflyclub.com/show/a-christmas-tale-2018

10, 12, 13, 14 & 15th Dec at 7pm
’Tis the Season…

At The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne a\

Winner of the prestigious Julie Michael Cabaret Award, ’Tis the Season is performed by Maverick Newman and Stacey Thomsett. It’s a comedy about divorce, dysfunction, love and Christmas!

Cost: $25-34

Bookings : https://thebutterflyclub.com/show/tis-the-season

Dec 20, 21, 22 at 8pm
A Swingin’ Bella Christmas!

At The Melba Spiegeltent this year, the legendary palace of festivity and frivolity adjoining Circus Oz /Melbourne Polytechnic / Collingwood TAFE / Collingwood Tech (depending on your era)!

– a finger-snappin’, toe-tappin’ romp through traditional carols, modern favourites and specially-written original songs of the season, executed with airy panache by a horn-laden bevy of brilliant performers known throughout the civilised world as The Bella All-Stars!

Out front, MCs Casey Bennetto and Geraldine Quinn will be joined by special guests:
Selina Jenkins – Thur 20th December
Nina Ferro & Tripod – Fri 21st December
Mike McLeish – Sat 22nd December

Limited tickets remaining
Bookings: https://www.bellaunion.com.au/

Sat 22 Dec at 8pm
Basement Comedy Club – Special Xmas Show!

European Bier Café, 120 Exhibition St Melbourne

There will be fantastic Comedians on the bill as ever….TBA

Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=263827&

Sun 23 Dec at 8pm
The Little Dum Dum Club Orphans Christmas Live Podcast

Downstairs at Basement Comedy Club,

European Bier Cafe, 120 Exhibition St, Melbourne CBD

Come and hang out with The Dum Dums: Karl Chandler and Tommy Dassalo and heaps of their comedian friends. + a little bonus Christmas gift with every ticket sold!

Bookings: http://littledumdumclub.com/?events=orphans-christmas-december-23-8pm