MICF: Alice Tovey, Doggo

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Alice Tovey
Doggo
2–19 April
The Butterfly Club
comedyfestival.com.au

Alice Tovey. Photo by Theresa Harrison

Alice's Garbage Monster was one of my favourite cabaret shows of last year. It ensured that I will never wear a too-tight shame bra again. This show might be about dogs! Everyone assumes that I'm a cat person (cos cats), but I'm really bipetal: I love dogs and cats. Or maybe panpetal ...

To get to know some of the people Alice talks about here, listen to Dump Him: The Game Show podcast.  (Oh, the things I no know about them.) AND, it has live shows every Friday during the festival. I don't know if I can stay up until 11.30 to be at them, but I'll try.

And there's the return season of Polygamy, Polygayu: A New Musical. Another show I loved a lot last year.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Brendan Fraser in the 1997 movie version of George of the Jungle. No further questions.

SM:As a journalist, I have never understood an answer quite as much as this one. 

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
The first festival show performed in was an hour long musical parody of Les Miserables. I had to sing a long about oral sex to the tune of "On My Own",  which, needless to say, bought the house down every night.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
I adore the vivacious, ferocious Anna Piper Scott. She may be the queen of snark, but the love that Anna has shown women in comedy is truly inspiring. Every day I am more in awe of her and her never ending cabinet of awards. Her show is what I want all of my comedy to be: raw, beautiful, evocative story telling by a shit hot lady.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Scout Boxall Good Egg (It broke my brain and changed my life. Scout hurls themselves off the precipice of excellence into a never ending gorge of silly every day and I am here for it.)
Charity Werk Drama Queen  (There is nothing that Charity can't do. She's one of the hardest working comedians in the country and the show she has created is pure gold. If you like glitter and anecdotes about the oppressive catholic school system, see Ms Werk.)
Patrick Collins Mime Sherrif  (Talented bastard. He's good at everything and he's hot, it's disgusting. If it wasn't for the fact that Patrick is the only other bisexual in comedy besides yours truly, I would despise that mime.)

AT: It's impossible to chose only three.
SM: It is bloody hard, isn't it.
AT: While I'm here, shout out to the incredible Lauren Edwards, Jude Perl, Mormon Girl, Big Big Big, Woah! Alyssa, Bella Green, Breast of the Fest, Stuart Daulman, We Are Nemesis and Dazza & Keif.

What else could MICF stand for?
Moo I Cow Friend.
Milk Isn't Cancelled Francine!
Most Iguanas Can't Fart (might be a fact).


GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

2 double passes to

Alice Tovey, Doggo
2 April
7.00pm
The Butterfly Club

EMAIL with ALICE TOVEY COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 27 March 2020

MICF: Annie Louey's Big Break

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Annie Louey
Annie Louey's Big Break
26 March–19 April
Chinese Museum
comedyfestival.com.au

Annie Louey. Photo by Theresa Harrison

I first saw Annie perform about three years ago. I knew then that she was going to be one of those performers who let me have bragging rights of "I saw them when they first started".

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Lucy Liu. Just for the Kill Bill references in this show and my sick martial arts choreography.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
Chinese folks I've never met coming to my show to support me only because we have the same surname. Honestly if your surname is Louey, just hit me up and I'll comp you in!

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
Liz Skitch, my director, because she's fierce and finds time to help other women no matter how busy life gets. I told her I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos while sleeping, so she came over and helped me put a mosquito net the same day – with her kids in tow.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Scout Boxall Good Egg
Anna Piper Scott Queer and Present Danger
No Apologies The Chat Show

What else could MICF stand for?
My incredibly comical farts.


GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

1 double pass to

Annie Louey's Big Break
28 March
8.30pm
Chinese Museum

EMAIL with ANNIE LOUEY COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 24 March 2020

MICF: Almost Lesbians

Almost Lesbians
Catface Productions
8 April 2018
Imperial Hotel, Stella Room
to 8 April 
comedyfestival.com.au

Anna Piper Scott, Sophie Joske

I so want Almost Lesbians to win the Golden Gibbo award for "awesome comedy that cares more about what it's doing rather than pleasing the masses". To be fair, I haven't seen all of the nominated shows, so my opinion isn't that credible. But they so want to win it; so much that they made a show that tried to include everything that award winners have in their shows.

I didn't see Anna Piper Scott and Sophie Joskeshow until their last night. They are from Perth but they will be back (they'd better be back!) and I can say that they are both now honorary Melbourners – cos we love them.

Anna is the straight m... Fuck...  I mean ...  Yes, we need to keep changing our dated, dull and restrictive language.

Sophie is the enthusiastic bouncy puppy, Anna is the older cat who's happy to swipe when the bounciness gets to much.

They subvert expectations about comedy duos as much as they subvert and confront mainstream expectations about queer women – and queer expectations about queer women. Being an "almost" is as much about being on the margins of the queer community as it is about being queer on the margins of the world that pushes people to the margins.

They both have girlfriends, so they should be easy to put in a queer box. (Sorry; it's my only box pun this festival.) But as Anna is trans and Sophie is bi, they deal with being misgendered, told their not gay – or straight – enough and being asked the sort of questions that aren't any of the business of a stranger, friend or close family member. We all know Sophie's "heterosexual Hannah" character far too well (if we haven't unintentionally been her).

Almost Lesbians isn't about being almost a lesbian, it's about being your authentic self and challenging every comment, glance or attitude that thinks you're not wonderfully perfect exactly how you are.

And they are perfectly fabulous exactly how they are.