Melbourne Town Hall

Rhys Nicholson has good reason to celebrate: the past few years have seen the much-loved comedian’s profile continue to rise, thanks to a star-making turn as a judge on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under, plum acting gigs and a run of award-winning stand-up shows. Oh, and they also recently got married to long-term partner Kyran Wheatley (a writer, broadcaster, comedian and producer in his own right). So it’s fitting that Nicholson’s 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival show is titled Huge Big Party Congratulations. There’s an anticipatory party vibe in the air as we wait for Nicholson to ascend to the Comedy Republic stage – which is semi-surprising given the early 6pm time slot on a Tuesday evening. But a bangin’ soundtrack, bright red spotlight and a pointed opening crack that we’re all tightasses for being here on cheap Tuesday sets the scene for an hour of high-powered hilarity.  The set moves at a sizzling pace – gags come in thick and fast about audiences in other states (people are “proud” in Perth and “weird” on the Gold Coast), whether or not Nicholson would get work done, and how it’s “a tiny bit funny” when billionaires get themselves into trouble, à la the Titanic submersible saga. But there are a few recurring themes in what initially seems like an off-the-cuff livestream of Nicholson’s inner thoughts. Marriage is one of them, as is the inevitable follow-up question: do you want kids? While Nicholson’s deliberately perplexing go-to answer is “we’re childless

The 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) may feel far-off, but for those aching to get ahead and book a side-splitter of a gig, Australia's favourite New Zealand comic, Urzila Carlson, has just announced a brand new national tour for next year titled Just Jokes.  Opening at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart, the inimitable Carlson will make her way to Melbourne's Town Hall for a full run at MICF, kicking off on March 27. The three-time winner of the MICF People's Choice Award, Carlson is a household name in Australia and a regular panellist on Network Ten's Have You Been Paying Attention? She has also appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox Australia along with Julia Morris and Nazeem Hussain. Her chart-topping podcast, That's Enough Already!, has seen her interview the crème de la crème of the comedy circuit, including Sarah Millican, Tim Michin, Russell Howard and Jimmy Carr.  When asked what to expect from the upcoming tour, the comedian said: "Just Jokes is as it says on the label! Just jokes! Come for a show and leave with a sore face from laughing!" You can catch Urzila Carlson's Just Jokes from Wednesday, March 27 to Sunday, April 21, at the Melbourne Town Hall. To buy tickets, visit the MICF website here. In need of a good LOL? Check out the best regular comedy venues in Melbourne. 

The mention of crowd participation at the average comedy show would spark a trembling fear in most audience members, but at Gillian Cosgriff’s performance of her award-winning show Actually, Good, attendees are quick to eagerly call out when prompted. But this lack of hesitation in a typically intimidating scenario makes sense, as Cosgriff’s show feels more like catching up with a friend than watching a comedy show. That’s essentially the basis of her performance, a conversation between her and the audience. It’s a collaboration that leads to plenty of surprises, many hilarious, and many heartwarming.   The central question that Cosgriff asks audiences is simple: what do you like? Over the course of an hour, the audience collectively makes a ranked list of ten things they like, while Cosgriff shares her own alongside amusing anecdotes. She has an amiable charm that disarms the crowd from the outset – sitting on stage before a sold out audience, she appears authentic and truly sincere. But her show avoids becoming a wholesome cliché, it’s actually refreshingly earnest. Her act centres on admiring the beauty of the human condition, but make no mistake, this is a comedy show and there is plenty of room for laughter. Cosgriff rattles off hilariously niche yet very relatable references and observations about our everyday experiences. There are plenty of witty quips that only Melburnians will find truly funny, and judging by the laughs, they are all crowd pleasers.  Not only is Cos