Sequel comedy shows are interesting – do they simply rehash the old material and potentially become sterile; or do they try for something new and get accused of selling out? Fortunately, Katie Cullinan’s Further Tales of a Catastrophist (follow up from the previous show Tales of a Catastrophist) is in neither category fully, but steers the...

Ross Daniels’ One Small Trip is an excellent example of how comedy can, in this more enlightened age, play off caricatures whilst remaining (mostly) inoffensive – especially as the show was performed and written by an older white man. Sketch comedy has an element that is somehow more delightful and engaging than stand-up comedy – it...

Stand-up comedy has a long and noticeably male Anglo trend of performers – for Australia, think Wil Anderson, Frank Woodley, or Adam Hills as examples. Even a quick Google search for top comedians brings up a list of white male comedians (of various degrees of straightness, and we will leave Barry Humphries aside), with only...

Kit Goodman! A Good Man is possibly one of the most unexpected shows at the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. When the description of the show boasts of appealing to all those who have felt personally victimised by PTV, many comedy lovers were probably expecting a format more alike to a  show perhaps with some...

Hidden away beneath Flinders Street is a tiny venue, where three comedians throw themselves into their shows with gusto. Fun and enjoyable, the Comedy Good Time show starts early enough in the evening to ensure you can start your evening on a good note. Three performers for the price of one meant that the audience...

Ben Russell wants his new show to be art. So he tells the audience at the start of Fylleangst, the latest Melbourne International Comedy Festival show from the award-winning podcaster, improviser, writer and comedian. And, to the extend that comedy is art, he succeeds. Co-written by Maggie Looke, this is Russell’s loosest show yet. It’s...