Janeane Garofalo and Greg Behrendt go to Sydney 27th Jan
Greg Behrendt, he's the author of bestselling relationship book He's Just Not That Into You, and a consultant on TV series, Sex And The City.
Janeane Garofalo, she's a two-time Emmy nominee who has appeared in over 50 movies and dozens of television shows, including the critically lauded, final season of NBC's The West Wing, Reality Bites, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Copland and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.
Together on the one bill, they are hilarious. Greg's a straight-talking and self-deprecating comic who entertains audiences with the travails of life, love and music. Janeane's well informed opinions and unflinching honesty inspire laughs among the left, right and everyone in between.
Tickets are from just $35 to see two superstars for the price of one.
''He's a real performer, not just a funny man who's stumbled onto a stage. He's confident and at the same time insanely personable. . . It's smart, well-observed material.''Time Out, UK
''(Garofalo) is brusquely honest, and absolutely hilarious. 4 stars.'' The Age
Sydney Opera House, Tuesday 16 to Sunday 21 March
On Sale Now! Click here for tickets.
Trades Hall to continue as Comedy Festival venue 23rd Nov
Melbourne International Comedy Festival has secured an agreement with Bella Union Enterprises Pty Ltd and Trades Hall to operate seven venues within the historic building for the 2010 Festival.
Over the last four years, Bella Union Enterprises Pty Ltd, an independent event producer, has programmed and produced Comedy @ Trades under the umbrella of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. However, Bella Union has decided that the financial risks associated with producing a fifth season of Comedy @ Trades were too great. Bella Union will continue to operate the bar during the Comedy Festival season.
"Changes to the licensing laws have forced us to reassess our priorities for Bella Union Enterprises," said Catherine Woodfield, Managing Director, Bella Union.
"Whilst we've revelled in creating four successful Comedy @ Trades seasons, we,re excited about taking time out to focus on building the profile of our much-loved Bella Union, a bar and live performance venue which operates year-round at Trades Hall."
Catherine Woodfield will liaise with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for a short transition period to ensure a smooth hand-over for registered artists.
"Over the last four years, Catherine and the Comedy @ Trades crew have turned Trades Hall into an exciting and unique Festival hub," said Susan Provan, Director, Melbourne International Comedy Festival. "Melbourne International Comedy Festival is committed to continuing the operation of these important venues to support Australian independent performers.
"We could not see these unique spaces remain dark over the Festival period as they play a vital role for performers and our audience."
Jacob Grech, Building Manager, Trades Hall & Literary Institute said: "Trades Hall welcomes the new relationship with Melbourne Comedy Festival and looks forward to continuing to serve the Victorian artistic community."
As is the case for all Festival-managed venues, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival will provide all event infrastructure including staff, ticketing, technical and production requirements, marketing and publicity.
"It is a very big commitment on behalf of the Festival to step in at this late stage but housing Festival artists is a priority," said Ms Provan.
The Festival is approaching its 25th anniversary in 2011 with a vision to connect the whole CBD during the Festival from the hub at Trades Hall to the river.
We're going to be on TV! 19th Nov
The Allstars Super Show will be broadcast on Network Ten on Sunday 28 November. It features a wealth of international and local comedy heroes including Janeane Garofalo, Claire Hooper, Danny Bhoy, Dave Hughes, Rich Hall, Umbilical Brothers, Avenue Q, Greg Fleet, David O'Doherty and too many more to mention. Also our Roadshow Special is due to air soon on ABC-exciting stuff!
Tickets are on sale soon, so watch this space for important announcements about dates and times to make sure you don't miss out! Or sign up to Fresh, our e-newsletter, for information delivered straight to your mailbox-too easy! You can become our fan on facebook and follow on us on twitter for up to the minute info and announcements!
Give the gift of giggle for Xmas you can buy Melbourne International Comedy Festival gift vouchers now! Click here for more info.
If you are planning on coming to Melbourne for the funny on the opening weekend, you will need to book accommodation and travel soon as the Grand Prix will be driving into town on the same weekend, 25 - 28 March 2010.
Australia's biggest and most prestigious open mic comedy competition is back! Registrations open for Raw Comedy early December. Go to rawcomedy.com.au or sign up to the Raw mailing list to receive info.
Deadly Funny is heading to Brisbane for the first time! Head to the website for more details about the 2010 competition and events happening in your area.
And finally...
Major date for your diary-18 February 2010, the day our brand spanking new 2010 Program Guide is goes into The Age AND our 21st Century embracing iPhone App is launched!
2009 Class Clowns Nationanl Grand Final - WINNERS! 16th Sep
On Tuesday 15th September, at the Malthouse Theatre, 13 of
the nation's sharpest school aged comic acts (16 teens in total) battled it out in front of a sold-out crowd at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Class Clowns National Grand Final for their chance to be crowned the most hilarious teen act in the country.
The top prize was awarded to Sydney comedian Neel Kolhatkar, who not only walked away with a novelty human-sized cheque, but also pocketed $1000 in cash plus another $1000 for his school, Caringbah High School.
Judges Colin Lane (of Lano and Woodley fame), comedian Wes Snelling, Councillor Cathy Oke (City of Melbourne) and Gideon James from the Melbourne Comedy Festival were impressed by the Year 10 student's musings on turning the TV show Bondi Vet into Broadmeadows Vet and his take on violence against Indians. Runner Up was awarded to 'Limbo', aka Ray Lawrence and Michael White from St Bernard's College in Melbourne.
Judge Wes Snelling said that some of the up-and-comers he saw today could put the pros to shame: "The standard was very high and it's comforting and exciting to see comedy that's so fresh, original, tight but most of all, hilarious," he said.
Emcee Dave Callan said: "I was loving it this year from the side of stage. This means two things for me - one, I kept forgetting I was emcee as I was getting lost in the LOLs; and two, it lit a fire under my arse to write better material myself."
Class Clowns is a national secondary school comedy competition and workshop programme run by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Class Clowns holds workshops and performances in every capital city and important regional areas, bringing the funniest school aged acts to Melbourne for the spectacular National Grand Final.
Since March this year, the Festival has been tracking a rare breed of teen - witty, smart, in Years 9 to 12, willing to perform five minutes of original comic material in front of a crowd, and most importantly, they had to be freakin' hilarious.
After a series of heats, finals, semi finals and state finals across the country, the cream of the teenage crop was flown (or driven) to Melbourne to compete in the National Grand Final.
Since its inception in 1996, Class Clowns has been developing the art of comedy amongst the nation's teenage comics from Darwin to Hobart, Perth to Launceston and in over 20 centres in between. The competition is supported by teachers' notes and online resources, as well as yearround developmental and professional workshops.
Class Clowns alumni include Tom Ballard (Triple J), Josh Thomas (Talkin' Bout My Generation), Danny McGinlay, and Kynan Barker (writer for Rove).
2009 Class Clowns National Grand Final 5th Aug
Since March this year the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been hunting down the funniest teenagers across our wide brown land for its annual Class Clowns Competition.
We've been tracking a rare breed of teen - witty, smart, in Years 9 to 12, willing to perform five minutes of original comic material in front of a crowd and most importantly, they had to exhibit freakish levels of hilariousness!
Taken under the wing of some of the Festival's finest comedians at group workshops, scores of Class Clownists were given the chance to polish up their stand-up routines, sketches, musical acts and other shenanigans prior to performing in heats around the country.
After a series of heats, finals, semi finals and state finals, the cream of the teenage crop has been selected - and are ready to be unleashed - at the Class Clowns National Grand Final.
Twelve of the nation's sharpest school-aged comic acts will battle it out for their chance to not only be crowned the most hilarious teen act in Australia, but to also pocket $1000 in cash plus and another $1000 for their school.
Class Clowns is the flagship event of the Comedy Festival's education program. Since its inception in 1996, the competition has been developing the art of comedy amongst the nation's teenage comics from Darwin to Hobart, Perth to Launceston and in over 20 centres in between. The program is supported by teachers' notes and online resources, as well as year-round developmental and professional workshops.
Class Clowns alumni include Tom Ballard (Triple J), Josh Thomas (Talkin' Bout My Generation), Danny McGinlay, and Kynan Barker (writer for Rove).
2009 Helpmann Awards Nominees Announced 30th Jun
Helpmann Awards Nominees Announced
Live Performance Australia (LPA) yesterday announced the List of Nominations in each of the 41 categories for the 2009 Helpmann Awards. The announcement was made concurrently at The Lyric Theatre, Sydney, and at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne.
Nominations in the Comedy category were Adam Hills, Julia Morris, Judith Lucy and Tim Minchin.
Congratulations to all who were nominated!
The 2009 Helpmann Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday 27 July at 6.30pm at Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, with the Awards Ceremony also being broadcast live on the Bio Channel, Foxtel.
BEST OF LUCK!
2009 Comedy Festival announces record attendances! 15th Jun
2009 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES RECORD ATTENDANCES
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival announced record attendances for the 2009 Festival, after working hard to keep tickets prices low and accessible for audiences - the average ticket price remained under $24.
With a total attendance of over 490,000 - up nearly 10% on 2008, and paid attendance of more than 420,000, the Festival proved that it is much loved by Melbourne audiences, as well as
interstate and international guests. It remains one of the biggest events in Melbourne, pipped only by the Australian Open, the AFL Grand Final Series and the Spring Racing Carnival.
Melbourne Comedy Festival Director, Susan Provan said: "The 2009 results reinforce the fact that the Melbourne Comedy Festival is a major event for Victoria and Australia, and a vital artistic showcase for hundreds of comedy performers.
"It's a Festival with an Australia-wide and global reach, drawing producers, agents and performers from around the world to discover Australian artists, while local audiences enjoy the
best contemporary comedy from overseas and across the nation."
For lovers of numbers, there were 318 shows, with 4,560 performances, in 123 venues.
The 2009 Festival recorded $10,539,850 in box office. Despite production, venue and staff costs having risen, the Festival has registered a modest surplus.
"We work hard to maintain an accessible ticket price," said Susan Provan, "so that the broadest audience possible can enjoy a program ranging from the presentation of big stars to the launching of newcomers."
And comedy lovers unable to get to Melbourne were not left out - Raw Comedy heats were held in every Australian capital city and lots of regional centres. The indigenous comedy competition, Deadly Funny was expanded to encompass Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. And over 1 million people around Australian watched the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala on Network Ten, as well as Comedy Festival editions of Good News Week on Network Ten.
The Festival is currently showing off the best of Australian and international comedians across Australia, on The Comedy Festival Roadshow.
The 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival runs from 24 March - 18 April.
2009 Melbourne Comedy Festival Award Winners Announced 22nd May
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FOLLOWING WINNERS
THE BARRY AWARD
The Pajama Men
THE DIRECTORS' CHOICE AWARD
The Bedroom Philosopher - Songs from the 86 Tram
THE MELBOURNE AIRPORT BEST NEWCOMER AWARD
Tom Ballard - Is What He Is
THE GOLDEN GIBBO
The List Operators
THE AGE CRITICS' AWARD
Celia Pacquola - Am I Strange
THE PIECE OF WOOD
Lawrence Mooney - Make the Girls Laugh
Award Nominees Announced 22nd May
Following are the nominees for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Barry and Golden Gibbo Awards - the winners will be announced next Saturday 25 April.
Congratulations to all the nominees and Good luck!
Hot tip - if you want to see them book now, they're gonna sell out!
The Barry Award nominees are...
1000 Years of German Humour - Henning Wehn / Otto Kuhnnle
Asher Treleaven - Open Door
Otis Lee Crenshaw Featuring Special Guest Rich Hall
Sarah Millican - Sarah Millican's Not Nice
The Pajama Men - Versus vs. Versus
Tim Minchin - Ready For This?
Wilson Dixon Rides Again
The Golden Gibbo nominees are...
Heath McIvor - Randy's Postcards from Purgatory
Rob Hunter - Moosecow
Tale Of The Golden Lease - Vigilantelope
The List Operators - The Last Tuesday Society
Tom Ballard - Is What He Is
Wes Snelling in Kiosk
Thursday 26th February 2009 5th Feb
The 2009 Official Program Guide will be released on Thursday 26th February 2009 in The Age.
We'll give you the hot tip...this festival is gonna be MASSIVE!
