By Lisa Clark
All around Melbourne the comedy venues are putting together Christmas shows with more laughs than you’ll find in any Christmas Cracker. We put together a list and you can check it twice. These are all the Christmas shows we know about, coming to Melbourne this December, including some exciting live podcast recordings.
THE BELLA UNION BAR
The Bella Union Bar is in a Seriously Festive mood and has a lot of Christmas cheer to offer. Comedy wise there are three main offerings.
Sweetest Plum – How the Plum Stole Christmas 
Podcasters Nick Maxwell and Declan Fay will present their usual razor sharp banter**, with a star-studded line-up of celebrity guests***
** Razor sharp banter is not guaranteed.
*** Star-studded line-up may just be Gatesy, on a stool, with a guitar
Date: 14th December, 2014
Time: 5:00pm
Price: $20/15
http://www.bellaunion.com.au/program_guide/show_902/
After Dinner Mint Christmas Spectacular By The Lords Of Luxury 
The final After Dinner Mint of the year features:
– Master of the dark arts, David Quirk
– Masters of mayhem, Aunty Donna
– Master of sideburns, Hairy Soul Man aka Kai Smythe
Plus many special guests AND a visit from the one and only Santa Claus!
Hosted by The Lords of Luxury with music from Gillian Cosgriff.
Date: Tuesday December 9
Time: 8:30pm.
Price: Presale $12/9 or $15/10 at the door
http://www.bellaunion.com.au/program_guide/show_838/
A Swinging Bella Christmas
This will be a musical comedy show with MC Casey Bennetto and his co-host being comedy chanteuse Geraldine Quinn with their band the Bella All Stars. On Thursday 18th the special guests will be Alan Brough and Mike McLeish and on Friday the special guests will be Tripod so you can no doubt go to both and are pretty much guaranteed a sensational time.
Dates:
Thur 18 Dec 2014
Fri 19 Dec 2014
Time: 7:30pm
Price: $35 Full $30 Group $25 Conc
http://www.bellaunion.com.au/program_guide/show_656/
THE BUTTERFLY CLUB 
What The Dickens!
Travel back in time to 1851, to Victorian England and the great age of discovery and storytelling. Created from your suggestions, tales of sweet-hearted heroes, sickly orphans, bumbling constables and winsome ladies are woven into a new, unique Dickensian tale every night.
Play parlour games like Poor Pussy, the Laughing Game and join Melbourne’s finest improvisors for mince pies and some Christmas cheer in the wonderful ‘curiosity shoppe’ that is The Butterfly Club.
Wednesday 17 December 2014 6:00pm
Thursday 18 December 2014 7:00pm
Friday 19 December 2014 7:00pm
Saturday 20 December 2014 7:00pm
Sunday 21 December 2014 6:00pm
Price $28/23
https://www.thebutterflyclub.com/show/what-the-dickens
The Comedy Gallery @ Jacksons Christmas 
Jacksons – 8 Jackson Street Toorak
With Marty Fields, Nelson Twins, Andrew Brown, Dale Craig and Mayumi Nobetsu
Date: Tue 16 Dec
Price: $25 SHOW ONLY $50 MEAL & SHOW – contact details for dinner and show bookings – 9827 8244
Time: 8.30
THE GH HOTEL (formally Greyhound Hotel) St Kilda
Joel Creasey’s Office Christmas Party 
Joel Creasey and special guests share their Christmas tales, disasters and songs. Join Australia’s finest comedians and celebrities at Joel’s office Christmas party!
Seating is unallocated- come down early for some pre-show Christmas cheer!
This is an ALL AGES event however anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Date: Sat 6th December, 2014
Time: 7:00pm (Doors open at 6pm for 7 – 8:30pm show.)
Price: $30 or $33.80 with Booking fee
Bookings through Moshtix http://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/joel-creaseys-office-christmas-party/74160
LOCAL LAUGHS presented by Janet A Mcleod 
At The Local Taphouse – 184 Carlisle St StKilda
With Janet’s famous Christmas style, decorations, the inimitable Andrew McClelland as MC and guests who so far include: Matt Elsbury, Rusty Berther, Dilruk Jayasinha and Cal Wilson, it’s sure to be a jolly good wiz bang night.
Date: Mon 22nd Dec
Time: 8.30pm
Price: $15/12
https://www.facebook.com/LocalLaughs
PUBLIC BAR 
238 Victoria St Melbourne (opposite Queen Vic Market)
The Public Bar Xmas Show
With Steele Saunders, who will be cooking up an all-star mystery line up.
Date: Wed 17 December
Time: 8.30pm
Price: $5
https://www.facebook.com/ThePublicBarComedy
THE SHELF 
At The Toff in Town, 252 Level 2 Curtain House Swanston St Melbourne.
Have a Christmas celebration with The Shelf. For three Mondays in December, The Shelf team will be rocking the night away with their final show being Dec 15 (So it must be a Christmas Show)
Hosted by Justin Hamilton and Adam Richard, regulars include Cal Wilson, sketch troupe Aunty Donna and Claire Hooper and there is always a huge line up of very special guests
Date: Mon 15 December
Time: 7.30pm
Price – $25/$30
http://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/the-shelf-season-10-15-december/73460
COMEDY AT SPLEEN 
Spleen Bar, 41 Bourke St Melbourne
Spleen Xmas Show is having a huge three bracket show that closes with the naming of the 2014 Spleen Comic of the year.
Featuring:
Harley Breen, Oliver Clark, Tommy Little, Greg Larsen, Gary Chook, Xavier Michelides, Nick Cody, Anne Edmonds, Dilruk Jayasinha, Karl Chandler , Steele Saunders and surprise guests!
Date: Mon 15 December
Time: 8.30pm
Price: Gold Coin Donation
http://www.comedyatspleen.com/
YARRAVILLE LAUGHS
The Yarraville Club 135 Stephen St, Yarraville.
Yarraville Laughs has two sparkly fabulous Christmas Shows this year.
The 2014 Christmas Cracker 
Sat 13 Dec
Featuring Denise Scott & Fiona O’Loughlin
Plus Special MC Jeff Green (UK)
A top comedy line-up that will sell out fast.
Tickets: www.yarravillelaughs.com
DOORS
Dinner & Show: 6:30pm
Show Only: 8pm
Show Starts: 8:30pm
TICKET OPTIONS
Dinner & Show $100 (Doors open at 6:30pm)
Reserved Seating $55 (Doors open at 7:30pm)
General Admission $45 (Doors open at 7:30pm)
EFFIE in A Date With Effie – ‘Kiss Me Under The Camel-Toe… Sorry, Mistletoe’
Sat December 20
DOORS
Dinner & Show: 6:30pm
Show Only: 8pm
Show Starts: 8:30pm
Ticket Options
Dinner & Show $90 (Doors open at 6:30pm)
Reserved Seating $45 (Doors open at 8pm)
General Admission $35 (Doors open at 8pm)
On the Door $40 (if available)
Also Other Pre Christmas Live Podcast Recordings:
I Love Green Guide Letters 15th Episode Live Spectacular 
At the Last Laugh Comedy Club at the Athenaeum Theatre 188 Collins St Melbourne
With a cast of 1,00s including adorable Channel 9 Newsreader Peter Hitchener
Date: Saturday Dec 6
Time: 3.30pm
Price: $20
Little Dum Dum Club 4th Birthday Show Live 
At Five Boroughs Comedy, 68 Hardware Lane (upstairs), Melbourne.
Tommy Dassalo and Karl Chandler present the usual dickheadery, tips about fast food outlets and some super special guests. Includes an extra post show by Nick Cody
Date: Sunday, December 7,
Time: 4pm.
Price: $21
