News – Page 6 – Squirrel Comedy

New Comedy Rooms in Melbourne

By Lisa Clark

We’re half way through 2014 and the live comedy landscape which is ever evolving has been gradually changing in Melbourne. Some comedy rooms have closed (or are Winter dormant – it can be hard to tell) and new ones are opening, so I thought it might be pertinent to highlight some new venues popping their heads up around town.

We are lucky in Melbourne to have a good stable base of established rooms that have been around for many years giving performers and punters regular spaces to get their comedy fix. It is always a good thing though, for a fresh outlook, either with a new concept or even an old one re-opening in a new space. It can encourage new audiences and inspire new performers as well as new ideas amongst old performers and gives us all new places to play.

The hard part is keeping track of them. Our Keeper of the Lists Colin, does his best, putting hours of work into hunting down info on comedy rooms but it seems to us that some room producers would prefer to keep their rooms secret with very little on-line presence or out of date/scant information. Sometimes we only hear about a new room because a performer tweets that they are performing there and it’s very rare that anyone announces when a room is closing. This is why we mostly concentrate on Melbourne rooms. I know the list below is not exhaustive and the best information can be found on the gig guide drop down menu above. If you are planning a comedy night out on the town check out Colin’s work on our comprehensive Comedy Gig Guide. If you know of a room not listed feel free to let us know!

Meanwhile these are some of the new- ish rooms happening around Melbourne we wish them all great success.

TUESDAY

Society Variety – Standup Comedy and Variety acts

In a classy café [sounds like the very roots of comedy in Melbourne back in the 70s.] You can have cocktails or dinner here too.

Monthly – Last Tuesday of Every Month from August

Venue – Society Restaurant, Bourke St Melbourne – 7pm $20

http://www.societyvariety.com/

WEDNESDAY

A Very Public Punch Line – Standup

It’s by the Yarra in the CBD. Not brand new, they had a season in 2013, but new to us…

Weekly

Venue – Melbourne Public Bar, 11 Dukes Walk South Wharf – 8pm (Dinner available from Bar from 6.30pm.) $15

http://www.melbournepublic.com.au/upcoming-events/details/65-A%20Very%20Public%20Punch%20Line%20-%20Comedy

THURSDAY

Tiki Bar Comedy Night – Standup

With an islander atmosphere and Mai Tais in Richmond.

Weekly

Venue – Tiki Bar, 327 Swan St Richmond – 8pm Free (coin donation for charity)

http://tikiloungeandbar.com/2014/07/02/tiki-bar-comedy-night-every-thursday/

FRIDAY

Friday Night Comedy – Standup with a difference

“Comedians battle for the ultimate comedy championship. Everyone in the audience can take out their phone, log in to a super-secret website, and write stuff that goes on the projector screen behind the comedian.” definitely something different…

Weekly

Venue – Butterfly Club, Carson Place, off Little Collins St Melbourne – 10.30pm $14/12

http://thebutterflyclub.com/show/friday-night-comedy

SATURDAY

Alan Smithee’s Screen Test – A comedy gameshow

Two teams of comedians compete to show off their film and television knowledge – live and uncensored. Recently moved to the gorgeous Butterfly Club now in the heart of the CBD, down one of those famous Melbourne Alleyways.

Monthly

Venue – Butterfly Club, Carson Place, off Little Collins St Melbourne – 10.30pm $15 / $10

http://thebutterflyclub.com/show/alan-smithee-s-screen-test

https://www.facebook.com/AlanSmitheeST/timeline

Rule of Three – Comedy Variety

With different line-ups each month including: Sketch, Improve and Character comedy.

Monthly

Venue – Butterfly Club 10.30pm $10

http://thebutterflyclub.com/show/the-rule-of-three

SUNDAY

Ha-Has at Yah Yah’s [not to be confused with HaHa’s at YaYa’s in Perth]

Standup at what is an inner city music venue that has presented comedy festival shows in the past.

Weekly

Venue – Yah Yah’s 99 Smith st Fitzroy – 7pm $10

http://yahyahs.com.au/

The Fancy Boy Monthly Super Show – Variety

If you’ve seen the Fancy Boys you’ll know that they are smart and they pull no punches also – no money will be refunded to walkouts. The team were the hot ticket for those in the know at Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2014 and won The Golden Gibbo Award. Toff in Town is a beautiful little music-hall theatre styled venue in the CBD with tiny round tables up the front with candles on them, a bar and food nearby.

2nd Sunday of the Month (starting August 10th)

Venue – Toff In Town, Level 2, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne- 8:30pm $20

http://tickets.thetoffintown.com/event/view/8gjf91xrb

Groove Bar Comedy – Stand-up curated by Justin Hamilton.

The Winter season has just finished with astonishingly good, tight line-ups and packed audiences every week.

Weekly – the next season will be starting in October

Venue – Groove Bar, Crown Casino, Southbank Melbourne – 7.30pm $12

Check out the full Squirrel Comedy Gig Guide

The 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award Winners

By Lisa Clark

Tonight the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Awards were presented at the Festival Club Hifi Bar at about 1am as usual. The top award The Barry was awarded to an emotional, teary Denise Scott who thanked everyone and spoke glowingly of an industry who supported her during her thirty years performing comedy. She also remembered her late friend Lynda Gibson, saying Gibbo would’ve loved Golden Gibbo winners Fancy Boy Variety Hour.

The Fancy Boys (Stuart Daulman, John Campbell, Greg Larsen, Henry Stone and Jonathan Schuster) collected their award as a group and were an absolute credit to Gibbo and to comedy. Ronny Chieng, winner of the Directors Award spoke of the kindness and support in the comedy industry and of the magic of laughter in all the rooms around Melbourne for a month, like happy light shining into the world. Wil Anderson also made a lovely speech and said he would award the money part of his prize to the Moosehead Award recipients encouraging young things to grow.

Stella Young was another crowd pleasing emotional winner of Best Newcomer and thanked her director and friend Nelly Thomas. Sarah Kendall was awarded the Piece of Wood Award (Peer Awarded Comedian’s Friend Thingy) by Andy McClelland (as Greg Fleet was indisposed) and bit into the Piece of Wood with vigour and said she will be taking the Slice of Pine to the UK for a bit.

We at Squirrel Comedy would like to congratulate all the wonderful winners and also to everyone who took part in the Festival this year. We’d also like to thank the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Team for putting in all the work to give us a fabulous Festival every year. We’ve had a ball and it’s not even quite finished yet! Remember as we always say, a puppy isn’t just for Christmas and comedy isn’t just for a festival. Get out and see some comedy throughout the rest of the year. Laughing is good for you!

BARRY AWARD
Winner – Denise Scott – Mother Bare

Nominees
Celia Pacquola – Let Me Know How it All Works Out.
John Kearns – Sight Gags For Perverts
Kyle Kinane
The Boy With Tape On His Face – More Tape
Tim Key – Single White Slut
Trygve Wakenshaw – Kraken

GOLDEN GIBBO AWARD
Winner – Fancy Boy –Variety Show

Nominees
Andy Matthews – String Theory
Pajama Party
Rama Nicholas – After Ever After
Stella Young – Tales from the Crip
Trygve Wakenshaw – Kraken

BEST NEWCOMER AWARD
Winner – Stella Young

Nominees
Amos Gill – You’ve Changed
Tien Tran – If you Don’t Know, Now You Know.

DIRECTORS’ CHOICE AWARD
Winner – Ronny Chieng – Chieng Reaction
Special Commendation – The On-gals Babbling Comedy

AIRBNB PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
– Wil Anderson – Wiluminati
Runner Up – Denise Scott
3rd Place – Em Rusciano

PIECE OF WOOD AWARD
Sarah Kendall

FUNNY TONNE
Chris Menezies – 158 shows

ALSO – Previously Awarded

DEADLY FUNNY AWARD
Stephanie Tisdell from Queensland

RAW COMEDY Grand Final Winner
Matt Stewart from Melbourne, Victoria
Runner Up – Katie Burch from Cronulla, New South Wales

CLASS CLOWNS National Grand Final Winner
Gregor Tarrant from Wodonga Middle Years’ College in Victoria

Squirrel Writers pick their Favourite MICF shows of 2014

The Squirrels see a LOT of shows during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival but what each of us sees varies a lot. The quality, we agree has been quite high and we’ve seen very few duds. Some of us see more shows than others, still have several shows to see and we don’t all see the same shows, so we can’t really pick a favourite overall, instead we each offer you our favourite shows for 2014:

Alanta Colley

Kraken – Trygve Wakenshaw

Noise adventure – Kate dehnert

It’s Eddo- Anne Edmonds

Dave – Zoe Coombs Marr

Pajama Party – Sarah Jones & Nicholas Johnson

Colin Flaherty

Damian Calinan – The Lost WW1 Diary of Private Paddy Callinan

John Kearns – Sight Gags for Perverts

Max & Ivan The Reunion

Fancy Boy Variety Show

Kraken – Trygve Wakenshaw

Elyce Phillips

Dr Professor Neal Portenza – Performs his Own Autopsy Live on Stage. One Night Only. (Obviously)

Asher Treleaven – Smaller, Poorer, Weaker, Cheaper

Lessons with Luis – By Myself

Rhys Nicholson – EURGH

Steen Raskoplous – I’m Wearing Two Suits Because I mean Business

It was a really tough pick through! Sam Simmons was also great and so was Paul Foot.

Ellyce O’Halloran

Set List

Joel Creasey – Rock God

Neil Sinclair – Charmingly Useless

Improv Conspiracy’s A Night in Chicago,

Lisa Clark

Justin Hamilton – Johnny Loves Mary 1994

Edge by Isabel and Rachel

Adrienne Truscott’s – Asking for It: A One-Lady Rape About Comedy Starring Her Pussy and Little Else!

Lessons with Luis – By Myself

Ronny Chieng – Chieng Reaction

I also loved Alice Fraser, Stella Young, Max & Ivan, Celia Pacquola, Fancy Boy Variety Show and Wolf Creek the Musical (OK, it’s REALLY hard!)

Noel Kelso

So far I’ve seen 84 shows, the vast majority of which have been great. My top 5 are –

The Earth Is Flat – Simon Godfrey

She Was Probably Not A Robot – Stuart Bowden

Sketch-Ageddon – Jason Geary & Jimmy James Eaton

The Boy With Tape On His Face

Max And Ivan The Reunion

Sofia Monkiewicz

Stephen K Amos – What Does the K Stand For

Wil Anderson – Wiluminati

Kate Dehnert – Noise Adventure

Luke McGregor – I Worry that I Worry Too Much.

Sam Simmons – Death Of A Sails-Man

I ♥ Melbourne International Comedy Festival Launch

By Lisa Clark

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival was launched the day before Valentine’s Day, so organisers decided to add a romantic theme to the launch with pink fairy floss, cupcakes, red balloons and a bit of speed dating. In front of the stage were fourteen tiny tables with two chairs each. I was one of the press invited/dragged to sit alone at the tables, while host Joel Creasey, with the aid of DJ of Love Andy McLelland, introduced us to our comedian partners. I started with Lehmo who told me about his show LEHMOOOO!!!(get involved), some of it is going to be about doing comedy for the Troops. My other dates were Kate McLelland in her gorgeous duck costume hand made by a very pregnant Claire Hooper, Lawrence Mooney and Miss Itchy. There were cards on the table with question topics like “What are you reading at the moment” but they were not necessary. With Comedians you just ask them to tell you about their show and let them go. Talking is their life.

The Launch was really to celebrate the Festival’s website going live and to give us a taste of the goodies in store. The speed dating was a great way to learn more. Kate’s show The Duck’s Nuts is a bit about not fitting into societies expectations of how you live your life. Lawrence Mooney is a Stupid Liar celebrates the comedian’s stock in trade – lying. Miss Itchy’s Late Night Larvae sounds like an extension of their inaugural Barry Award Winning The Crème the Menthe Breakfast Show with old friends Alphonso the Room Temperature Pony and the dashing Tim Harris.

Miss Itchy are not the only act returning after a long absence, Matt KIng (of Peep Show, Spirited and most recently the IT Crowd 2013 Xmas special) , who will always be considered partly Australian will be back as part of The Edinburgh Festa Besta. There’s Tim Vine with his own chat show, Blast from the past Arty Putz in his show Very Weird and Slightly Dangerous. The gorgeous Julian Clary who was probably the first person I saw doing a TV game show where there was no significant prize, will be putting audience members through their paces to find a new mate in Position Vacant: Apply Within and the Fabulous Adam Richard is doing Gayapocalypse his first solo show in seven years. Other Aussies we haven’t seen in solo shows for a while include Nelly Thomas (Pleasantly Furious) and Ben McKenzie (Ben McKenzie is Uncool).

There are always so many fascinating ideas being explored by comedians in so many different ways it puts a lot of modern straight theatre to shame. And it’s Funny! One of the themes being explored in several ways is war. Both Lehmo and Justin Hamilton in his show Johnny Loves Mary 1994 will be talking about performing to troops. Damian Callinan’s show is called The Lost WW1 Diary of Private Paddy Callinan and Michael Workman’s show is simply called War. Then there is The Wrestling. Comedian’s pitted against professional wrestlers in the ring.

Time to start making those festival plans and for all you Luddites the hard copy of the Festival Program will be in the newspaper on March 1^st.

The printed program can be posted on request to people who live outside of Melbourne. Email info@comedyfestival.com.au with your details to request a program.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/

Festive Comedy Nights!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and that means comedy Christmas nights are popping up all around the town. They are all happening on different nights in December, so if you are seriously keen, or slightly nutty, you could attend all of the following:

The Shelf Christmas Show

In the final episode in this season of The Shelf, Adam Richard and Justin Hamilton are joined by Ronny Chieng, Cal Wilson, Lehmo, Tegan Higginbotham, Peter Helliar, Hannah Gadsby, Rob Hunter, Luke McGregor, Kate McLennan and Wes Snelling.
It’s on at The Toff In Town (Level 2, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne) on Monday December 2, starting at 7:30pm. Get in quick to book through the Toff in Town website.

Impro Melbourne : A Christmas Carol

Impro Melbourne will stage their final show of the year on Sunday 8 December. It’s a FREE show with fruit mince pies and eggnog. Hosts Tilly and Flora will take you on a journey into a world of ye olde Christmas tales and choir songs, all with a generous nod to the master, Charles Dickens.
A Christmas Carol is happening at The Space (5 Carlton Street, Prahran) starting at 7:30pm. Book now through the Impro Melbourne website.

The Wheeler Centre : The Show of the Year

They’re not calling it a Christmas Show, as they are very secular but it has Casey Bennetto in it, so it might as well be. Other comedians include Alan Brough, Sammy J, Hannah Gadsby, Catherine Deveney, Trevor Ashley and of course, the presence no doubt, of the ever witty, delightful director Michael Williams. This event happens on Thursday December 12 at the Athenaeum Theatre (188 Collins Street in the CBD). It starts at 7:30pm and bookings can be made through the Wheeler Centre website.

Yarraville Laughs: Christmas Cracker

All The Yarraville Club wants for Christmas is a night of santa-belly laughs and they must have been good boys and girls because Frank Woodley, Hung Le and Rusty Berther are greeting the season from their stage with DJ Max Crawdaddy & MC Matt Hardy.
It happens on Saturday December 14 at the Yarraville Club (135 Stephens St, Yarraville) starting at 8:30pm (7pm if you book a Dinner and show). Book now through the Yarraville Laughs websitea>.

Local Laughs Christmas Show

Janet A McLeod finishes up the year with a huge line-up including Harley Breen, James Dowdeswell (UK), Ryan Coffey, Tegan Higgenbotham, Lauchie Clark and Steve Hall (UK). It’s on Monday December 16 at the Local Taphouse (184 Carlisle St, St Kilda East) starting at 8:30pm.

The Butterfly Club : Chevrons Christmas Showcases

The new Butterfly Club stand up show, Chevrons, will be hosting a spectacular lineup of Melbourne’s budding comedians on Friday December 20. The night is split into two shows – starting downstairs at 8.30pm and then moving upstairs at 10.30pm (Please Note:
A ticket for the 8.30pm show downstairs will get you into the 10.30pm show upstairs, but a ticket for 10.30pm upstairs show will not let you see the earlier show downstairs).
The monster lineup includes: John Conway, Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall, Beau Stegman, Natalie Harris, Jonathon Schuster, David Cronin, Sophie Miller, Liam Ryan, Luka Muller, Frederich Jones, Damian Lawler, Murphy McLachlan, Mark Trenwith, Laura Davis, Stuart Daulman, Rose Callaghan, Greg Larsen, Adam Knox, Lisa-Skye, Kevin Lim, Firdi Billimordia, James Masters, Taco and Jason Chatfield.
Tickets can be booked through The Butterfly Club website. The Butterfly Club is located at Carson Place off Little Collins Street in the CBD.

The Bella Union Christmas Shows

The Spendid Chaps Christmas Special happens on Sunday December 15. Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliot as they look at all the Time Lord goodness that didn’t make it into the rest of the year, including not-quite-Doctors Peter Cushing and Richard E Grant, and spin-off K9 & Company. There’ll be special guests, songs from house band The Time Lads and a cardboard Dalek too. This show will also be raising funds for Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) and Medecins San Frontieres (MSF).
Book now through the Bella Union Website

The regular Film Trivia night Alan Smithee’s Screen Test hosts it’s Christmas edition on Tuesday December 17. Special guests Claire Hooper and Tom Ward join the regulars Harley Hefford, Sarah Jane Haywood, and Max Attwood. Bookings can be made through the Bella Union Website.

Then there is the very Special A Swinging’ Bella Christmas on Saturday December 21. Casey Bennetto and the Bella All-Star Band (Ben Hendry, Vincenzo Ruberto, Enio Pozzebon, Ross McFerran, Matt Bird and Mal Webb)! Casey and the band will be joined by guests Eddie Perfect, Virginia Gay, Steven Gates, Simon Hall and Scott Edgar, all ready to share the spirit of the season and celebrate the end of the year.
Book now through the Bella Union Website

A Very Plum Christmas sees Nick Maxwell & Declan Fay recording the yuletide episode of their podcast The Sweetest Plum on Sunday December 22 at 4:30pm.
Book through the Bella Union Website

Spleen Christmas Show

Spleen is having a Christmas show, as they do every year. There will be a mystery lineup full of the absolute best of who’s been on during the year, including a special appearance from Australia’s most infamous comedian, Gary Chook. All comics that have performed during the year are invited down.
At the end of the night, the Spleen Comic of the Year trophy will be awarded – going out to the comic who’s not only performed greatly at Spleen, but who carries the spirit of Spleen too.
It’s on Monday December 23, starting at 8:30pm. Spleen is located at 41 Bourke St in the CBD.

Melbourne Fringe Festival Comedy Award Winners

Congratulations to all the performers who won awards at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival, to all those who took part and especially to those who practiced the art of comedy.
Here are the comedy award winners this year:

2013 CATEGORY AWARDS

Best Comedy: EDGE! by Rachel Davis and Isabel Angus

Best Venue: Imperial Hotel

2013 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

Touring Award

Outstanding Comedy Show

Winner: Simon Keck – Nob Happy Sock

Local Award

People’s Choice Award

Wizard Sandwiches: The Last Lunch

For our full archive of award winners see our History of Australian Award Winners page under the FEATURES section