MICF: Maddie Parker and Jen Mackie, Live. Laugh. Love.

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Maddie Parker and Jen Mackie
Live. Laugh. Love.
6–19 April
Tasma Terrace
comedyfestival.com.au

Maddie Parker, Jen Mackie (or visa versa) Photo by Jimmy Woodriff

More MICFs I haven't seen yet. But Nikki Britton thinks they are ok and that's a pretty good recommendation.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph on a night out. (Cliche? Yes. Do we care? No.)

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
We're yet to do a comedy festival together yet! But in this show, we have a dance number at the end, and halfway through the dance we turn to face each other as we do starj umps, and every time we get to that bit, we always have the biggest, silliest beaming grins on our faces when we look at each other. It's a combination of relief that we've got through the whole show again, joy because the show is so much fun to do, and love, both for what we do and each other. So that's a nice memory we get to relive again and again every night.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
The incredible Nikki Britton. She's such an amazing performer, and such a warm, kind, uplifting person. She's been extremely generous in helping us with this show, and we can't thank her enough.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Juliet Timmerman The Latest Show Ever
Beth McMullen Why Am I Still Single?
Nikki Britton One Small Step

What else could MICF stand for?
Mothers Imbibing Chardonnay Frequently.


GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

2 double passes to

Maddie Parker and Jen Mackie Live.Laugh.Love.
6 April
9.30pm
Tasma Terrace

EMAIL with MADDIE AND JEN COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 1 April 2020

MICF: Lily Fish

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Lily Fish
Jofus and the Plank
13–19 April
The Butterfly Club
comedyfestival.com.au

Lily Fish

I still work in theatre because I was taken to theatre when I was a child. There are some amazing shows just for children in this festival. This show is at The Butterfly Club; thinking that there will be. child who's first experience of a theatre is The Butterfly Club is too perfect.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Her Royal Highness Magda Szubanski. I would literally stop the show to squeal with delight.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
My dad taking me to see The Four Noels as a child. It completely blew my mind that you could be so so seriously silly.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
Kimberley Twiner. She's an absolute powerhouse! She's Artistic Director of PO PO MO CO and The Melbourne Physical Theatre School, and she's directed a bunch of award winning all femme clown shows including The Travelling Sisters, Maggot and Jofus and the Plank. And she's a damn funny performer in her own right.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Physical and Political We Too Us Too Me Too Too Too (includes Ell from The Travelling Sisters and Kimberley from PO PO MO CO)
The Travelling Sisters Thy Thus Twas
Ange Lavoipierre Zealot 

What else could MICF stand for?
Melbourne International Clown Festival – hahaha, well it's not quite true yet. But maybe one day.

MICF: Maeve Marsden, Fat Musicals: A Body of Work

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Maeve Marsden
Fat Musicals: A Body of Work
26 March–5 April
Malthouse Theatre
comedyfestival.com.au

Maeve Marsden, Libby Wood

If there were ever a show written for me, this is it. And I don't need to convince anyone who has seen Maeve and Libby perform that they need to go.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Lizzo.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
My favourite moments at the comedy festival are always backstage. I love the energy of performers gathered about a mirror, warming up, chattering, all that nervous energy. Performing cabaret in a group means there's this real collegiate atmosphere. I've always had a sort of romantic feeling about dressing rooms.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
Ali McGregor. She's a fierce and talented performer, she always works to support emerging or early career artists - especially women – and she's always eager learn more, politically and creatively.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Annaliese Constable Perfect Child
Louisa Wall Lousical the Musical
Krishna Istha Beast

What else could MICF stand for?
Maeve Is Crushingly Fantastic.


GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

1 double pass to

Fat Musicals: A Body of Work
27 March
8.30pm
Malthouse Theatre

EMAIL with FAT MUSICALS COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 24 March 2020

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: Cherie Smith, Absolutely Cooked

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Cherie Smith
Comedy Women's Association presents Absolutely Cooked
10–11 April
Campari House
comedyfestival.com.au

Line up shows like this can be like a CWA cake stall with samples: you can taste the best and choose your favourite. Or at least have an extra serve of scones with jam and cream.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Julia Gillard.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
Lip Sync Battles. Either Granny Bingo Downtown or Zoe Coombes Marr giving birth to Demi Lardner while singing "What's Up".

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
Just one?! Lauren Bok, Annie Louey Zoe Coombes Marr, Urzila Carlson, Luisa Omielan, Aurelia St Clair, Anna Piper Scott, Steph Tisdell... the list goes on.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Caili Christian & Katrina Fleming Queenagers
Tessa Ryan Done Meself A Mischief

Steph Tisdell Baby Beryl

What else could MICF stand for?
Muliebral Inspiring Charmingly Funny.

MICF: Alanta Colley, On the Origin of Faeces

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Alanta Colley
On the Origin of Faeces
24 March–4 April
TBC
comedyfestival.com.au

Alanta Colley. Photo by Sarah Walker

I know so much about bees because of Alanta, and one of my favourite MICF stories her chasing bees around Northcote. I can promise that you'll come out of her show smarter than when you went in, which doesn't compare to the utter delight of hearing her stories that combine the scientific and the personal. And this show is about poo. I can't wait.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Phoebe Waller Bridge. Everything she creates is magic.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
In my early days, when I'd squeeze in 4–5 shows a day, I came out of a show late and a little delirious and couldn't remember where I had left my bike. I bumped into Alisdair Tremblay Birchall, who was carrying a bag of carrots. He offered me one and helped me find my bike. He is a man of infinite generosity and, what most people don't know about him, is that he always has at least one kind of vegetable on his person.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
I'll go international with Josie Long. I always think about her show title Romance and Adventure because I think it sums up her positive, cheeky, delightful storytelling shows which always enthral audiences.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Ange Lavoipierre Zealot  (An exploration of God, which I am so thoroughly here for.)
Alisdair Tremblay-Birchall & Andy Matthews Teleport.  (It's an engineering show and they're both a bloody delight.)
Martin Dunlop The Last Ghost is You (Explores all the tropes of the world of ghost stories and asks, what it really means to be haunted.)

What else could MICF stand for?
Many Indiscriminately Coloured Ferrets.


GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

1 double pass to

Alanta Colley On the Origin of Faeces
3 April
7.15pm
TBC

EMAIL with ALANTA COLLEY COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 29 March 2020

MICF: Louise Cox, Improvised Jane Austen

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Louise Cox
Soothplayers Improvised Jane Austen
25-29 March
Campari House
comedyfestival.com.au

Louise Cox

Given how much I adore the Soothplayers Completely Improvised Potter and Completely Improvised Shakespeare, I'm already thinking about the title I want to suggest for the Austen version.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
The ghost of Jane Austen.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
My comedy festival memories all blur into one impression of laughing, spending time with friends, eating late and getting no sleep.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
Bella Green.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Big Big Big Catching Jack
Soothplayers Completely Improvised Shakespeare 
Taylor Griffiths Seabaths



GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

1 double pass to

Improvised Jane Austen
25 March
6.00pm
Campari House

EMAIL with JANE AUSTEN COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 20 March 2020

MICF: Two Little Dickheads, KAPOW!

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Sharnema Nougar from Two Little Dickheads
Two Little Dickheads: KAPOW!
25 March–19 April
BOB 
comedyfestival.com.au

Two Little Dickheads and Haiku the cat. Photo by Nick Doolan.
(Want my attention? Photo of a cat.)

I saw the first Two Little Dickheads show in 2018 because Tessa Waters told me that I should. She was right. It was as ridiculous as it was gorgeous. And what a joy to see people create comedy that is so theirs that there is nothing to compare it to. Make stuff that you love and you will find an audience who love you. (And I have since met Haiku and Bongo the cats.)

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Patti Smith or Ani Difranco. They’re both in the country. SHARE THE SHIT OUT OF THIS ARTICLE SO THEY HEED OUR DiCKHEAD CALL.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
Wearing a dress made completely out of pots and pans! It was magnificent idiot couture. Dave wore a funnel for a minimalistic juxtaposition. It was funny. One night I accidentally knocked his funnel off his willy. My mum was in the audience! And my Grandma. And Mum's best friend. And Grandad. It was VERY funny. To my dismay, we now have a ‘no nude Dave’ Dickhead policy.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
The Travelling Sisters! Do they count as one? It’s impossible to choose between them.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Cousin Tara: Wukkas (We smell Gibbo potential.)
Big Big Big: Catching Jack (A trio of MICFs that are ripping it up. The future of comedy is now.)
Aborigi-LOL: The Return (LOL is an understatement, Dane and Matt are thigh-slappin' snortin' funny.)

What else could MICF stand for?
Menstruation Is Completely Fine


GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

2 double passes to

Two Little Dickheads: KAPOW!
25 March
9.30pm
BOB bar

EMAIL with DICKHEADS COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 20 March 2020

MICF: Chi Nguyen, LOTUS

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Chi Nguyen
LOTUS
26–28 March 2020
SIGNAL
comedyfestival.com.au

Chi Nguyen

I haven't seen Chi perform yet, but she talked about making good Vietnamese iced coffee in her media email – and that was enough to get my attention. And young female voices taking over the festival...

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Ali Wong! 100%

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
Coming to watch Comedy Zone Asia and someone thought I was there to do a set, haha.

Who is one (or three)of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
The comedy queens of my heart are Diana Nguyen, Lou Wall and Margot Tanjutco.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Lou Wall Lousical the Musical
Annie Louey Annie Louey's Big Break
Diana Nguyen Chasing Keanu Reeves

GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

one double pass 

Chi Nguyen: LOTUS
28 March
7.00pm
SIGNAL

EMAIL with CHI NGUYEN COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 24 March 2020

MICF: Jude Perl, Puffy Jacket

MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT CELEBRATORY FEMINIST
Jude Perl
Puffy Jacket
26 March-19 April
Melbourne Town Hall, Portico Room
comedyfestival.com.au

Jude Perl

I saw Jude Perl's I Have a Face last year and said, "Her work is personal and vulnerable and questions so many of the ridiculous expectations about femininity and sexuality that face women every day." And now I'm singing "I have a face"; her work sticks.

If you could see anyone (possible or impossible) in your audience, who would it be?
Maria Bamford.

What is one of your favourite comedy festival memories?
Drinking tea at the Malthouse after my shows.

Who is one of your favourite Melbourne Indie Celebratory Feminists?
Clara Cupcakes.

What three shows are you not going miss this comedy festival?
Kirsty Webeck Gosh
David Quirk Astonishing Obscurity
Patrick Collins Mime Sherriff

What else could MICF stand for?
Multiple Irrational Cluster Fun

GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

one double pass to

Jude Perl: Puffy Jacket
29 March
6.15
Melbourne Town Hall, Portico Room

EMAIL with JUDE PERL COMPETITION in the subject
Closes on 25 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: Melbourne Independent Celebratory Feminist

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2020
25 March–19 April
comedyfestival.com.au

With over 600 shows wanting your love, comedy festival season is daunting.

You can't see them all.

I've made it a little bit easier for myself by making my #MICF stand for Melbourne Independent Celebratory Feminist.

(With a side of #WIQ - Women Indie Queer.)

Each day, I'll feature a #MICF show in the lead up to the festival.

If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Or fill in this Google form if you are a MICF.