Alice Fraser : Savage

By Lisa ClarkAlice Fraser Savage

Alice has been going through a rough time. The sort of time that might make some people want to withdraw to a quiet place for a while and not have to entertain a bunch of strangers for a month but the show must go on and Alice is a trooper. A born entertainer who’s managed to rustle up an impressive show that she admits wasn’t quite what she planned when she made her Festival application.

Australia is blessed with comedians who appeal to all levels of taste and sophistication and Alice is definitely at the intellectual end. At its heart is a talk she gave for TEDx, but her themes and ideas are universal. What is love, belief, tragedy, truth and beauty and can we explore them while laughing at how absurd it can all be? There is also the story that surrounds her whole TEDx experience which is hilarious in itself.

Alice is skilled in transforming her densely written piece into a conversation with the audience. And it is a conversation, there is space for the audience to express themselves providing entertaining feedback, recognition and sing-alongs. Yes, Sing-alongs. Alice plays some cute songs on her trusty talking banjo which is an unexpected delight. There are also engrossing stories, delightful observations, dating advice, threaded through with a pre-recorded interview and peppered with excellent gags. She is in turns hilarious, charming, moving, gently sarcastic, silly and always a warm presence in the intimate space.

For a show put together under duress, there are a lot of laughs to be had. There are also a few tears so you might want to remember the tissues. It is quite an ambitious show that while entertaining as it is, it would be extra awesome with a decent sound and a tech rather than just her laptop. Alice gives her audience the best show she can and proves that she is a household name in the making. Go and see her so you can say ‘I saw her when’ and help get her moved to the bigger, better equipped room she deserves to be in.

Savage is on at The Downstairs Lounge @ The Grand Mercure Hotel until April 19
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/savage-alice-fraser

5 Good Reasons to see Jen Carnovale : Give Us A Smile

1. It’s Jens first ever solo show in Melbourne and if you believe what these smart (super smart) people have to say, you should probably buy tickets.

‘Perfect Timing’ -Funny Women UK

‘Brilliant’ – Comedy Estonia

‘You’re a chick’ – Brilliant Mind from Newcastle

2. It’s on at 7:15pm at the Trades Hall, see this show and you can tick the ‘let’s do something different’ box for the year.

3. This show will reignite the spark in your relationship and make you seem insanely attractive to whom ever you desire.

4. I promise not to talk about my junk.

5. I will talk about travel, jobs, boob doctors and more.

Give Us A Smile is on at Trades Hall until April 5
For Bookings & information go to the MICF website:
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/give-us-a-smile-jen-carnovale

5 Good Reasons to see Tune Your Own Adventure

1. Each show is a completely improvised musical, that no one else will ever see again!

2. You can bring your kids. Tune Your Own Adventure is totally family friendly!

3. It’s cheap! A whole family can enjoy the show for under $50 – something you can’t say for a trip to Luna Park…

4. You get to decide how the story goes!

5. There may or may not be a vampire…

Tune Your Own Adventure is on at the Supper Room of the Melbourne Town Hall until April 12
For Bookings & information go to the MICF website:
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/tune-your-own-adventure-impromptunes

5 Good Reasons to see Dave Bloustien: The Tinder Profile of Dorian Gray

1 The feeling of your lips forming a moue of annoyance at yet another show about Tinder, softening into intrigue as you realise it’s not about Tinder at all.

2 The flaring of your nostrils as you hear about a band Dave loved as a teenager, ravaged by time and misadventure.

3 The chills along your spine as Dave describes his fading significance as the single dad of a 7 year old Goth.

4 The tremble in the corner of your eye as Dave relates his brush with a potential STI.

5 The quickening of your pulse as Dave describes the most romantic first date of all time. Or possibly gets Catfished, and tasered on a beach somewhere.

Dave Bloustien performs The Tinder Profile of Dorian Gray The Upstairs Lounge @ Little Sista
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/the-tinder-profile-of-dorian-gray-dave-bloustien

Snort With Friends

By Hannah FrazerSNORT with Friends

Walking into a dark room not knowing what is about to happen in front of you is scary, but sitting in the front row while it all unfolds is terrifying. This is not the case when you are in the company of the SNORT family though. From the get go the cast, which this particular evening consisted of (Eli Matthewson (MC), Nic Sampson, Donna Brookbanks, Guy Montgomery, Chris Parker, Laura Daniel, Rose Matafeo and Joseph Moore) relax you into their show, making you feel as though the words they are given, like some sort of magnificent, magical spell had been planted in your minds, and they had actually been practising the material for months. If you didn’t know it was improv, you wouldn’t know it was improv.

The show separated into 3 monologues and 3 sets. A nervous audience member will throw them a singular word and then you just sit back, relax and watch their minds explore the possibilities. They are miraculously able to bring life, colour and madness to the stage where just seconds before there was nothing. You see them delve into their subconscious to source personal anecdotes, stories and crazy characters at the drop of a hat. It really is something to behold.

All seasoned pro’s with their regular Friday night gig at ‘The Basement’ back in their homeland. As well as some having their own solo shows at the festival, they didn’t let the smaller than usual audience discourage them. The intimate nature of the night although not ideal didn’t diminish the size or scale of the laughs they received. All inherently quick thinkers, leaving the audience two steps behind and always delightfully surprised with where they would go next.

The comradely and mutual admiration of each other evident. Laughing and supporting one another when on the sidelines, seamlessly bouncing off one another or coming in to challenge and keep things interesting. You are able to sneak a glimpse into each of their uninhabited, wild and remarkable quick thinking minds and as the audience, we reap all the benefits of their madness.

Unlike a phone throwing Crowe, these are some New Zealander’s that we would be happy to claim as our own. This show only lasts until the 5th April, so make sure you don’t miss these honorary Aussies at the 6pm (6.15 Sunday) at the Portland Hotel.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/with-friends-snort

Lawrence Mooney – Surely Not

By Noel KelsoMooney

I had never heard of Lawrence Mooney until I moved to Melbourne, which is a shame because I had clearly missed-out on a very funny comedian.

His latest show ‘Surely Not’ is a comedic rumination on all things familial prompted by the demise of a relative back in the UK. This mournful event is the catalyst for a world-crossing journey with his two brothers and prompts a lot of thoughts on the nature of life and death and family relationships, from which Mooney manages to extract a surprising amount of comedy and a healthy dose of pathos.

If you are as much a comedy tragic as myself and go to any of the billions (I counted) of regular comedy rooms which pepper the streets of this city then you will no-doubt have encountered Mooney’s friendly and convivial style of banter many times over. And it’s still funny.

Mooney has been performing on the circuit for twenty years and continues to make people laugh uproariously with his droll observational routines and scathing commentaries on politics and celebrity.

His ability to engage an audience no matter the size is testament to this man’s skills as a storyteller and comedian. Through subtle use of facial expressions and changes in stance he can have people simply incapacitated with laughter through the recognition of the situation being projected through the absurd lens of his world-view.

He talks about travelling to Liverpool to sort the estate of his deceased uncle with his two elder brothers and how the sibling hierarchy established when they were all children still holds sway even though they are in their fifties. This provides ample opportunity for his keen skill for mimicry as he delivers lines in a credible scouse accent.

There is talk of how each child has their place determined by the order in which they arrive and of the strange quirks which well-meaning parents pass-on and can be humiliating when at school. This is a journey through life and the strange little bits early on which can affect you forever and it had the audience in stitches from start to finish.

As a comic, Mooney has a very polished performance style. He is clearly at home on stage and betrays none of the nerves which would beset anyone performing to the large crowds who attend his shows. His ease of delivery when he utters each line has the effect of making the audience give him their complete attention even as they wipe the tears of laughter away from the last comedic jab.

The evening concludes on a touching note with a lovely tribute to his uncle which he and his brothers organised and recorded whilst in Liverpool as a mark of respect.

This is an excellent night out with plenty of laughs and pointed remarks on the nature of family, emotional coping mechanisms and his relief at not having to re-write the show if Tony Abbott had been sacked. All seamlessly connected through laughter.

Lawrence Mooney – Surely Not is playing at The Forum Theatre, Flinders Street until April 5th and then at Melbourne Town Hall from April 14th until 19th.
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/surely-not-lawrence-mooney