Festival Club

8 April 2026

This was a genuinely flawless line-up! It isn’t always the simplest task to combine a group of comedians with a wide range of comedy styles, perspectives and talents, but the energy in the room was joyously high from start to finish.

Please do yourself a favour and check out each and every one of their solo shows!

Jay Wymarra

Our cutie-pie of an MC perfectly struck the balance between lifting up the night’s acts and shining brightly in his own right. There’s nothing like a man who can serenade you with a ukulele and kazoo simultaneously.

Jay Wymarra is performing at The Motley Bauhaus, 8:30pm.

Rowan Thambar

Rowan courageously shared the tale of letting Fatman Scoop believe he was black while backstage at The Project, going so far as to ‘Wakanda Forever’ him out of panic. (Rowan’s family is from Sri Lanka, but don’t tell any casting agents…)

Rowan Thambar is performing at Chinese Museum, 9:15pm (8:15pm on Sunday).

Emmanuel Sonubi

With an infectious smile and confidently rapid-fire delivery, Emmanuel was instantly captivating… but omg stop, don’t look at his big beautiful muscles! He reminded us that even when you look like a bouncer, it’s only natural to sprint away from a naked man in an alleyway when given the option to either fuck or fight.

Emmanuel Sonubi is performing at Melb Town Hall, 7:30pm (6:30pm on Sunday).

Guneet Kaur

Guneet once dated a man so afraid of commitment, he couldn’t even get addicted to meth… I loved her admission that she and her also bisexual boyfriend cosplay as straight people while on dinner dates, leading to loud accusations like “Why did you like her Instagram post you pig!?!”

Guneet Kaur has finished her run at the Comedy Fest, but keep an eye out on her socials for any upcoming shows! @guneet_ofkaurse

Ghenoa Gela

A phenomenal storyteller and Deadly Funny alumni, I loved Ghenoa’s universal tale of desperately seeking out extra curricular activities to get as far away from your school as possible.

Ghenoa Gela doesn’t have a show at this year’s Comedy Fest, but check out the winner and nominees of this year’s Deadly Funny competition: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/news/one-silly-ring-named-2026-deadly-funny-winner

Suren Jayemanne

I empathised with poor Suren’s struggles in his primary years. His parents enrolled him in a Catholic school to prevent him from getting bullied for being Hindu, blissfully unaware that he was always going to cop it far worse for having glasses and severe asthma (we all know the average Aussie child lacks the nuance for biting religious material at that age).

Suren Jayemanne is performing with Matt Stewart at Coopers Inn, 6:30pm.

Dane Simpson

Dane has recognised that parents should have more patience for babies’ inability to communicate their struggles. If your penis was stuck in your underwear and your mate’s response was to pat your back for 30 minutes, I’m sure you’d scream and piss everywhere too… We were also lucky enough to experience his phenomenal interpretation of a grumpy hitchhiker performed entirely on the didgeridoo!

Dane Simpson is performing at The Victoria Hotel, 9:00pm (8:00pm on Sunday).

Milo Hartill

The stunning Milo Hartill closed the evening with a stirring performance of the 1967 hit ‘MacArthur Park’, juxtaposed by their decision to utilise an incredibly drunk audience member as their mic stand. I dare you to not be entertained by a beautiful goddess hitting prolonged high notes whilst being chased around by a punter who’s trying not to fall off the stage.

Milo Hartill doesn’t have a show at this year’s Comedy Fest, but check her out online! @milohartill

Reviewed by Connor Fantasia-Serve

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