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: Once Bitten – Nikki Britton

MICF
Once Bitten
Nikki Britton 
11 April 2019
Melbourne Town Hall – Lunch Room
to 21 April
comedyfestival.com.au

Nikki Britton

Nikki Britton was one of two 36-year-old woman I saw on the same day a Federal Court Judge declared that another 30-something woman was not credible because she knew that treating the space around her body as a joke wasn't ok.

Both shows were about how it's still a surprise to the world when women take up space and behave like themselves rather than being quiet little – as little as possible – pretty things who don't swear, eat or fuck.

Nikki is totally ok with taking up space and having an appetite for food, sex, affection, polka dot pant suits, and being on a stage and talking about how it's more than ok for women to enjoy their bodies – even if that means someone asking if you're pregnant. Having an appetite for life still results in awkward conversions. Hopefully only awkward for the person asking because women don't have to explain or justify their bodies to strangers.

To make everyone comfortable, she begins with a lot of old-school "she knows what I mean"  observations and balances her opinion that women are ok by assuring the men in the room that they have lovely dicks. Cos that's what good girls go, isn't it – appease and praise.

Nikki's not good, she's great.

There was a time in her life when she was good. She did everything that was expected of a good girl. She knew the rules and was praised and congratulated for doing what it took to blend in and not take up space. It also nearly killed her.

Maybe one day women will take up all the space they want and need and no one will need to explain why that's more than ok.