The Funny Tonne
Since 2005, Melbourne International Comedy Festival has challenged die-hard fans of funny to dive deep into the Festival program and pen engaging show reviews.
Check out the 2026 Funny Tonne Reviews below. Thanks to ArtsHub, Australia's leading independent online resource dedicated to the world of the arts, selected Funny Tonne reviews will also be published on ArtsHub.
The Reviewers
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Alex Carpi
0 reviewsSongwriter, poet, and extensive purveyor of the arts, Alex Carpi has worn every hat. As Melbourne International Comedy Festival front-of-house staff for the past two years, she is elated to be joining Funny Tonne in a new capacity to support this year’s Festival. Primarily a music writer, having written for Beat Magazine and Zee Feed, Alex spends her days launching her music group, Sticky Sessions, and working in cultural festivals, such as St Kilda Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Partial to some clowning, physical comedy and anything with a powerpoint presentation, Alex’s framework of funny is “the sillier the better”, and props to anyone with the balls to show their… well, you get it. Alex is excited to spend her nights running from show-to-show, seeing the best that Melbourne has to offer, and topping it off with a Nutella crepe outside Max Watts.
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Joanne Zou
0 reviewsJoanne Zou currently lives and works on unceded Wurundjeri land. She is a pop music enthusiast who likes fruit tea and funny jokes. She has written poems which have appeared in Cordite, Australian Poetry Journal, and Voiceworks, and she volunteers as web editor for Sine Theta Magazine. Their life occasionally feels like a series of side quests, so of course they're thrilled about gallivanting around this year's comedy festival. Last year, she got really into Spicks and Specks (she is still trying to find a way to watch the 2010s special). Joanne hopes to see a free Palestine in our lifetimes.
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Connor Fantasia-Serve
0 reviewsDetermined to make you smile, Connor Fantasia-Serve has been creating silly and sincere comedy since he was old enough to be trusted with the family camcorder. He loves nothing more than seeing a vision through from initial spark to final glorious export, often juggling writing, directing, cinematography and editing, as well producing music whenever the opportunity arises.
Connor is passionate about collaborating with others to create something they can all be proud of, and strongly believes you can have an absolute blast while doing it. His work has screened at festivals across Australia including Flickerfest, St Kilda Film Festival, Revelation International Film Festival and Sydney International Film Festival, as well as being a 4-time finalist in the My RODE Reel International Film Competition from his first entry when he was thirteen.
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Maddison Verduci
0 reviewsMaddison Verduci (she/they) is an improviser, writer and producer based in Melbourne. She has been involved in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in previous years as a performer, sound tech, flyerer, bartender and now reviewer.