Melbourne International Comedy Festival

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2009 Registrations Open Dates 7th Sep

Do your friends think you're funny? Are you the life of the party? Can you keep your cool on stage while the only light in the room is pointed straight at your face? So, you do think you're funny? Then prove it! Now is your chance as registrations are open for the country's largest (and funniest) cultural festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Registrations close December 1. Click through to the Registration Site, it is easy to open an account and it is full of information.

The Festival will take over the city from 1 April - 26 April 2009 with audiences flocking to see theatre, stand up, music, visual arts, kids' shows, and cabaret, all with a humorous bent.

More than 455,000 people attended Comedy Festival events in 2008 outstripping attendances at Melbourne Cup Carnival and the Grand Prix. It is now one of the three largest Comedy Festivals in the world along with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival.

Join funny people from all over Australia and all around the world, get on board and register online now. Registrations close December 1.

Click through to the Registration Site from the Homepage, it is easy to open an account and it is full of information.

IF Award WINNER ANNOUNCED! 24th Aug

Irishman, and Melbourne Comedy Festival favourite, David O'Doherty has been announced as this year's if.comedy award winner - the highest accolade at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The 33-year-old collected his award from Clive James and 2007 winner, Australian Brendon Burns at a ceremony on Saturday in Edinburgh.

Sarah Millican, the Geordie stand-up who started comedy in 2005, was named best newcomer.

Awards producer Nica Burns said: "After one of the longest, most animated debates the panel finally chose from this very strong shortlist a comedian whose work can only be summed up as utterly delightful. An hour with David O'Doherty fills the world with laughter and charm and sends you home on a wave of happiness."

The other nominees for the 2008 award, formerly known as the Perrier were Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler (joint winners of the 2008 Barry Award at the Melbourne Comedy Festival) for Double Down Hearts, Rhod Gilbert for the Award-winning Mince Pie and Russell Kane for Gaping Flaws.

Melbourne Comedy Festival director, Susan Provan was present as O'Doherty received his award, and is thrilled to confirm that his award-wining show (Let's Comedy) will be coming to the 2009 Festival in April.

"Gentle, silly and even a little moving in his gentle silly way, David O'Doherty is an outright gift." - The List, 2008

IF Award Nominations Announced 21st Aug

Comedic talents of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival have been nominated for the prestigious if comedy awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Huge congratulations to Barry winners from 2008, Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler who have been nominated for their show Double Down Hearts as well as Comedy Festival regular David O'Doherty for his show Let's Comedy.

Rhod Gilbert (who appeared in Melbourne in 07) and Russell Kane are also in the running for this prestigious award (won last year by Australian Brendan Burns).

Good Luck!

2008 Helpmann Awards - Winners Announced 29th Jul

The 8th Annual Heplmann Awards were held last night at the Lyric Theatre, Star City Sydney.
A huge congratulations goes to our comedy padres David Collins and Shane Dundas, The Umbilical Brothers Don't Explain who took out Best Comedy Performer.
Keating! took out the award for Best Regional Touring Production. A big congratulations to Casey Bennetto and the whole team.
Also a special congratulations to Shane Jacobson for winning Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Musical - Guys and Dolls.

2008 Roadshow Success! 28th Jul

MELBOURNE'S COMEDY FESTIVAL ROLLS INTO SINGAPORE

Arts Minister Lynne Kosky today announced that following a highly successful regional and national tour the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow was on its way to Singapore.

"The Melbourne International Comedy International Festival is one of the world's great comedy festivals and the Festival's Roadshow takes great Australian comedy to regional cities, country towns and now Singapore, making comedy one of the most accessible artforms," Ms Kosky said.

In 2008, the Roadshow played to 101 venues across Australia from Pakenham to Port Hedland to over 48,400 with regional audiences growing by 18 per cent.

This increase was achieved by adding new venues resulting in an overall sales increase. New venues for Victoria in 2008 included Ballarat, Werribee, Healesville and Robinvale.

In South Australia new venues included Roxby Downs and the Institute Theatre.

"The Melbourne International Comedy Festival continues to deliver to a program across regional Victoria and Australia that is of the highest quality," Ms Kosky said.

"It is great to see so many people getting out and enjoying a little piece of this great Festival right there in their own backyard."

This year some of Australia's favourite comedians packed up their microphone and toured all over Victoria and Australia including Damian Callinan, Corrine Grant, Claire Hooper, Jeff Green and Josh Thomas.

The festival's director, Susan Provan said the comedic extravaganza had been on the road for over a decade.

"It just gets more popular, we keep adding venues and we keep going further out to remote corners of the country. It is fantastic to take comedy to these communities," Ms Provan said.

2008 WHAT A GREAT FESTIVAL! 2nd Jul

$9.7 million at the box office, 298 Shows, 4,146 Performances, 1,765 Performers, 123 Venues and 455,000 in the audience!

Whether you saw one or 100 shows -thank you for supporting the Comedy Festival.

It's been an amazing festival with a great program generating a total attendance of 455,059 - so the Comedy Festival consolidates its position as Australia's largest cultural event. The Comedy Festival website received 505,378 visits (from 134 different countries) in just three months.

New General Manager for Melbourne International Comedy Festival 9th Jun

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival today announced the appointment of Virginia Lovett as General Manager, effective from 25 June 2008.

Virginia Lovett comes to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with over nearly 20 years experience in the arts and entertainment industry, in a variety of roles.

Her most recent role was General Manager,Corporate Communications at Zoos Victoria, returning to Melbourne after more than a decade in Sydney.

Virginia Lovett was Manager Marketing, Media and Communications, Powerhouse Museum from 2004-2007 and spent over four years as Marketing and Communications Manager at Sydney Festival.

She has many years experience as Publicity Manager with Sydney Festival, Sydney Theatre Company and National Gallery of Victoria. She has also worked as a media advisor for state
ministers in Victoria and New South Wales.

In 2006, Virginia was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and is a board member of Craft Victoria, deputy chair of Kate Champion's Force Majeure and was deputy chair at Legs on the Wall from 2004-2007.

Announcing the appointment today, Festival Director, Susan Provan said: 'With her wealth of experience and enthusiasm, Virginia will be a tremendous asset to our team.

'We are all looking forward to working with her in what is an exciting phase for us with a new home base at the Comedy Theatre and preparations gearing up for the 23rd Melbourne International Comedy Festival.'

'I am thrilled to be joining the Melbourne International Comedy Festival,' said Virginia Lovett. 'It will be great to be a part of this major cultural event. I look forward to working with Susan, the team and the Board in staging what has become not only one of Melbourne's favourite times of the year, but continues to be one of the world's great comedy festivals.'

2008 WHAT A GREAT FESTIVAL! 13th May

End of the Comedy Festival for another year! 13th Apr

Congratulations to everyone who was a part of a huge and fabulous 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival!
See you next year for the 23rd Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 1 - 26 April 2009!

BARRY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED 10th Apr

For the first time ever, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s most prestigious annual award, the Barry Award, was awarded last night in a tie to Kristen Schaal (USA) – As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before and Nina Conti (UK) – Complete And Utter Conti for their 2008 shows at midnight the Festival Club.

Also in contention for the 2008 Barry Award were nominees: Fiona O’Loughlin (AUS), Josie Long (UK) – Trying Is Good, Justin Hamilton (AUS) – The Killing Joke, and Sammy J (AUS) – Sammy J In The Forest Of Dreams.

The Age’s team of comedy reviewers voted Sammy J In The Forest Of Dreams a clear winner for the 2008 Age Critics’ Award.

The Melbourne Airport Best Newcomer Award: For the best newcomer at the Festival - the winner jets off to experience the Brighton Comedy Festival in the UK. 2008 Nominees: Matthew Kenneally’s Ill Thought Through Plan For The World, Sam Wills – The Boy With Tape on His Face, Fear of a Brown Planet 2008 Winner: Fear of a Brown Planet

The Directors’ Choice Award: Awarded by the Comedy Festival Director in consultation with other visiting Festival Directors.
2008 Winner: Sam Simmons – Where Can I Win a Bear Around Here?

The Piece of Wood: The beloved (and much bitten) comics’ choice award selected by past winners and presented to a peer literally for “doing good stuff ‘n’ that”.
2008 Winner: Tom Gleeson – Tom-A-Thon

The Golden Gibbo: In memory of the late, great Lynda Gibson and awarded to a local, independent show that pursues the artist’s idea more strongly than it pursues any commercial lure. 2008 Nominees: The Suitcase Royale - The Ghosts of Ricketts Hill, Benn Bennett and Wes Snelling in BLACK BAG, David Quirk – Kathleen Grace.
2008 Winner: The Suitcase Royale - The Ghosts of Ricketts Hill