Funny Tonne

Cathy Culliver is a freelance journalist, writer, podcaster and self-confessed comedy groupie who has always wanted to be part of the Funny Tonne. Now that she doesn't have a pesky full-time job to get in the way, she's excited to see as many shows as physically possible during the festival and to try her darndest to break the record.

Primary school teacher by day, community radio comedy show host by Wednesday night. I live in Colac, which makes me an unofficial cast member of Neighbours, and live comedy gigs can be a rarity. So I'm often running away from home to catch the funniest shows or watching standup DVDs or listening to comedy CDs while driving. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival gets written on my calendar each year before birthdays and anniversaries. I'm looking forward to soaking up a heap of this years best comedians. So bring on the Funny Tonne!

First cousins with Keanu Reeves, Nick Taras makes up facts about himself to lure people into reading his bio beyond the first sentence. He is a writer for several publications across Melbourne, although he is most widely recognised as the author of best-selling self-help book How To Use Keanu Reeves In Any Situation. In his spare time, he listens to stand-up comedy and likes to learn about psychology and astronomy. If you approach a Nick Taras in the wild, remember he's as afraid of you as you are of him.