MICF: Isabella Valette

Isabella Valette, Princesstuous

10 April 2016

The Butterfly Club, downstairs

to 10 April 

comedyfestival.com.au

Isabella Valette

I saw Princesstuous on its last night, but it has to come back for another season or three.

Isabella Valette's performed and written solo cabaret before, but this is the first time she's made such a personal show. She knows she was brought up as a loved princess but, now in her later 20s, she's wondering how long she can keep wearing pink frills.

With honesty, new lyrics for popular songs and a terrific deconstruction of the Disney Princess paradigm, Princesstuous should have a commemorative tea towel and coffee mug. 

MICF: Luisa Omielan

Luisa Omielan, Am I Right Ladies?!
14 April 2016
Victoria Hotel, Banquet Room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au



Anything less than 5 stars was impossible.

My review is on The Age/SMH.

MICF: Lady Sings it Better

Lady Sings It Better, Here to Save the World
13 April 2016
The Butterfly Club
to 17 April 2017
comedyfestival.com.au

Lady Sings It Better

After a few false starts, I finally got to see Lady Sings It Better this year – and they are brilliant. I love them.

In Here to Save the World, they are super heroes in gold lamé and are here to save us all by bringing attention to the gender inequality – and utter creepiness – in some of the most popular of pop songs.

I heard lyrics that I hadn't noticed before (Tom Jones, ewww), was taken back to the time I didn't really know what "You give me head" meant, and know more about Kanye than I ever thought I would.

As my review-writing brain has turned into a puddle of over-used adjectives and gratuitous swearing, watch this video instead. They don't do this song (which I still love) in the show, but you'll know if you want to see them.

MICF: Lessons With Luis

Lessons With Luis
30 March 2016
ACMI, Games Room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Lessons With Luis

I love Luis so much that I don't want to upset him by acknowledging that he's a character.  

In Lessons With Luis, his first solo show, he tells us that character comedy is pretending to be someone else by wearing a costume.

This year Luis is doing a show all by himself. He's been working hard with the video recorder and the second tv to make a show that's educational and full of lessons to make the world a better place. His wonderful dad, Len, and Catty the cat (oh, Catty...) make appearances on the video cassette so that Luis doesn't feel alone (but his naughty little brother Luelin taped over an important bit).

There are stories, songs, balloons and, if you're good, you'll get a sticker. I stuck mine on my iPad.

This is dead-set genius character comedy that's heart breaking, heart warming and "oh my word" brilliant.

Once you've met Luis, nothing will stop you seeing him again – and wanting to make him a tray of lasagne.

MICF: Upfront

Upfront
Melbourne International Comedy Festival presents
12 April 2016
Melbourne Town Hall
comedyfestival.com.au

Add caption

So many shows that I now want to see – and it's impossible to do so! Brilliant night.

My review is on The Age/SMH.

MICF: Jake Johannsen

Jake Johannsen, Talking Show
Adam Hills presents
3 April 2016
Greek Centre
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Jake Johannsen

To balance out my seeing women and alternative voices this festival, I saw Jake Johannsen.

At a very-well-aged 50-something and from the USA (he was a favourite on Letterman), I don't think there's anyone more middle class, middle aged, white, blue-eyed and heteronormative in the festival. With a mix of observational and anecdotal stand-up, his act is also as empty stage and microphone stand-up as it gets.

And he gets that. He knows the only thing he has to complain about is that he's getting older without too many complications – we may as well drink as we get older because we wake up feeling hungover anyway; best advice I've had all festival –  and that his best stories are about being happy with his wife and daughter.

None of which make him any less funny. His stand-up is some of the best around as he knows that comedy comes from telling the truth about everyday life; it's not all misery, repression and misrepresentation. Happy people can be funny, too!

And I dare anyone not to like him.

The only downside is the weirdness of the venue – "go up these isolated concrete stairs that look like they belong in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit". But just think about it as bonus comedy festival adventure.

PS: I've been told that there's a rooftop bar that makes up for the "best to wear shoes you can run in" stair wells.

MICF for Kids: Sunny Ray and The Magnificent Moon

Sunny Ray and The Magnificent Moon

Arena Theatre and Salvador Dinosaur 

7 April 2016

The Famous Spiegeltent, Arts Centre Melbourne

10 April 2016
comedyfestival.com.au

Sunny Ray and The Magnificent Moon 

Don’t forget that there’s plenty of brilliant comedy for kids at MICF.

From Arena Theatre and Claire Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias (who also created the glorious rock duo Die Roten Punkte), Sunny Ray and The Magnificent Moon is pure joy for the under-10s.

In her orange and yellow jumpsuit, sparklie eye shadow and yellow sun visor, Sunny sings “It’s a wonderful day” as she wakes up her the plants and warms up the world. She loves being the sun and loves the beginning and end of each day when she hangs out with her best friend, The Magnificent Moon. In an Elvis-inspired white and silver jumpsuit, the Moon knows how cool it is to sing and party all night with the stars. 

When Sunny decides that it could be fun to stay up late, the Moon welcomes her to the party, but she sleeps in and he isn’t sure how to wake up the world.

With original songs, lots of interactive fun, and extra naughtiness and love, Sunny Ray and the Magnificent Moon light up the Famous Spiegeltent and welcome children and their families to help make this gorgeous story about friendship and how it’s cool to be different.

This was on AussieTheatre.com.

MICF: Neal Portenza

Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza. Tracey.
2 April 2016
Melbourne Town Hall, Backstage room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Neal Portenza

I've been earning my Feminist Fright Bat wings by writing about amazing women comedians this festival, but some of the blokes are also far too wonderful to miss.

Josh Ladgrove's beret-wearing Neal Portenza blows me away every time I see him.

With a design including balloons, some lovely interactive modelling clay, and a bit of blood, he's a bit calmer this year, so he's like a puppy – on speed. A super-smart puppy who understands the world far too clearly and decides to deal with it by re-interpreting the rules of classic clowning.

The illogical insanity of his show makes complete sense when you're in the moment. I could try to describe Pokégoth, but I'll get the same odd looks as when I say that the only thing funnier than one squeaky rubber chicken in his underpants – there is near-nudity –, is four squeaky rubber chickens.

And no one else asks their audience to add a bonus comic timing moment, or to make racist or bad jokes punishable.

Neal Portenza puts the W, T & F into whimsy. This is indie original comedy that defies sensical description and takes a lot to be beaten.

And Nathan the tech is back to help.

MICF: Shiralee Hood

Shiralee Hood, Rock the Boat
1 April 2016
Victoria Hotel, the Acacia room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Shiralee Hood

Shiralee Hood is terrific. She’s the sort of woman who walks into a beauty salon and asks for a spray tan, but when someone called her a boong, she called him an ambulance.


My review in in The Age/SMH.

I also loved her support, Denise McGuiness and her daughter Dawn, who are developing a unique double act.  Denise is a single mum of three kids, who came out at 30, works at the Aboriginal Health Service and supports her kids' dreams by letting them sleep until 2 in the arvo.
 

MICF: Rama Nicholas

Rama Nicholas, Mary Weather's Monsters
Sunday 27 March
Trades Hall, The Quilt Room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Rama Nicholas

It's 1890s London and Mary Weather continues to try to balance protecting the city from monsters, missing her sister, and dealing with boyfriend Percy Shelley's affections –"Go and write a poem, Percy". When she finds her chance to enter the monster realm and end the war that broke out when she was a child, she learns that not everyone believes in Mary Weather.

This gothic, steam-punk, fantasy, feminist comedy reinvents literary geniuses and creates a world of monsters, fate and redemption that Mary Shelley and her friends would have been thrilled to read.

And it's all performed, and written, by the all-round brilliant Rama Nicholas.

Every character and monster – monsters who have never been seen before – is as real on the stage as they are in her imagination. She knows every detail of her incredible worlds, and she shares the perfect detail to make them so real that her audience could tell you what else they saw hidden in the dark or empty spaces on the stage

Mary Weather's Monsters is as hilarious as it is heart-warming and it's some of the tightest and most original story-telling around.

I'm going to try and see this again, I loved it so much.

MICF: Adrienne Trusscott

Adrienne Truscott's a One-Trick Pony! (Or Andy K**fman is a Performance Artist and I'm a Comedian
2 April 2015
The Coopers Malthouse, Bagging Room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Adrienne Truscott

Feminist comedy that sucks dick in all the right ways.

My review is on The Age/SMH.

2014's Asking for It: A One-Lady Rape About Comedy Starring Her Pussy and Little Else! 

MICF: Laura Davis

Laura Davis, Marco.Polo.
31 March 2016
ACMI, Games Room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Laura Davis

Laura Davis is one of the best. See her before she has to move to big rooms.

My review is on The Age/SMH.

MICF: Hannah Gasdby

Hannah Gadsby, Dogmatic
31 March 2016
ACMI, Beyond
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Hannah Gadsby

I really do think we should dump the Queen and put Hannah's profile on our coins.

My review is on TheAge/SMH.

MICF: Bridget Everett

Bridget Everett, Pound it
Presented by MICF
27 March 2016
Max Watt's  (The old Hi FI Bar)
to 3 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Bridget Everett

"You HAVE to see this show."

I trusted the person who said it to me. And I'll bet that if you don't book to see Bridget Everett now, you will miss your chance.

From the USA, she's only performed four shows so far and MICF 2016 is already "the one when Bridgett Everett came". Pun intended.

I see many shows that claim to be filthy, alternative and outrageous; I often leave describing them as sweet little pumpkins.

Bridgett Everett is the real deal. She's so magnificently obscene and wonderfully outrageous that I may never put on a bra, wear lip gloss, or eat butter without thinking of her.

Damn it, this is reclaiming and demanding new space for women.

I saw genuine fear on some faces in the audience. Face this fear. Do it anyway. Fuck some shit up and come out the other side as a better person.

And no where in her sexually explicit show does she denigrate, humiliate or belittle anyone.

(Except her cunty relatives, but everyone has a cunty relative.)

MICF: Geraldine Quinn

Geraldine Quinn, Could You Repeat That?
26 March 2016
Malthouse Theatre, Bagging Room
to 3 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Geraldine Quinn

Every time I see Geraldine Quinn, I like her more than the time before. She's wonderful.

My review is on The Age/SMH.


Here she is at the East East Brunswick Club in 2008.

MICF: Zoe Coombs Marr

Zoe Coombs Marr, Trigger Warning
26 March 2016
Victoria Hotel, Acacia Room
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Dave and Zoe Coombs Marr

I fell in love with Dave the first time I saw him in 2013.

He's back. She's magnificent.

My review is on The Age/SMH.

MICF: Felicity Ward

Felicity Ward, What if There is No Toilet?
Laughing Stock Productions
26 March 2016
ACMI, The Cube
to 17 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Felicity Ward

Felicity Ward's back home for the first time since her wonderful The Hedgehog Dilemma. She's staying in London for love, but there's no shortage of audience love for here. It's so lovely to be among a crowd who adore the performer they're seeing.

My review is on The Age/SMH.

MICF: Penny Arcade

Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer
Theatre Works, London Artists Project, Soho Theatre
24 March 2014
The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne
to 3 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Penny Arcade

Penny said on Twitter that she's convinced I'd have given her five stars if she'd shown me her vagina.

Or three.

My review is at The Age/SMH