Comedy, in this economy? Well heck, I don’t know about you, but I could sure do with a good hearty chuckle right about now. So it’s a good thing that the Sydney Comedy Festival is back with its biggest program ever in 2024 – more than 750 artists are gearing up to flood the city with laughter at more than 315 shows scattered across all corners of the city from April 22 to May 19.
From the household names we all know and love to ground-breaking newcomers who are shaking up the comedy scene, you can pick and choose between a kaleidoscopic array of gala showcases, intriguing solo stand-up shows and special events. With a whole lot of tickets coming in at under $30, there really is a “comedy concert” for everyone (just don’t look for Che Diaz on the line-up).
You can catch new shows from legendary Aussie comedians like Rhys Nicholson, Will Anderson, Tom Gleeson, Reuben Kaye, Melanie Bracewell, Steen Raskopolous, regular The Project panellist Peter Helliar, a hilarious night with Judith Lucy and Kaz Cooke, comedy crack pot Reuben Solo, the sassy and sardonic Gen Fricker, Lizzy Hoo (loved for her Prime Video comedy special Hoo Cares!?) and 2022 Australia’s Got Talent finalist Emo Majok. Joining the long list of international stars is the much loved Stephen K Amos, 2016 English Comedian of the Year Josh Pugh, plus the fierce and fiery Irish comic Shane Daniel Byrne, and American history-meets-comedy podcast The Dollop is also heading Down Under for the Festival.
Some of the most exciting up-and-comers in the comedy scene are getting in on the festival action too. Sydney’s favourite adopted Mixed Race Queer British son AJ Lamarque is introducing us to A Beginner’s Guide to Gay Cruising; preeminent lesbian comedian of the Inner West, Jenna Suffern, invites you into their existential crisis in It’s Not Funny, It’s Private; Raw Comedy winner Alexandra Hudson will be Making Lemonade; and the winner of Best Newcomer at SCF in 2023, He Huang, takes us on a global journey with Tiger Daughter vs The World.
We’re also looking forward to mixing things up with the really weird and wacky shows on the line-up like Swamplesque, the riotous burlesque and drag parody show inspired by everyone’s favourite big green ogre; Sh!tfaced Shakespeare, the smash-hit phenomenon from the UK where very serious Shakespeare is derailed by a genuinely inebriated actor; and The Bear Pack, the cult improv show that’s so good that it’ll turn improv-sceptics into fans (our critic describes it as “an hour-long orgasm for your brain”).
Not sure where to start? Our top tip is to check out one of the Comedy Festival Galas or Showcases, that way you'll get to see a dozen or more acts in one go (including some of the big names). The Factory Theatre in Marrickville remains a major hub for the festival, with four different stages hosting heaps of shows every night, and the beer garden in the middle makes for a great place to hang out before and after back-to-back shows. A brisk walk from the Factory, Newtown’s legendary Enmore Theatre hosts huge shows in the main theatre, as well as the smaller wine bar stage and a couple more little rooms hidden upstairs. You could also technically back up shows at the aforementioned venues at Manning Bar on the Sydney Uni campus in Camperdown, which is hosting a bunch of comedy during the festival as well.
Meanwhile, Sydney Comedy Festival doesn’t stop at the boundary of the Inner West, there are ten venues in total involved across all corners of the city. The Sydney Opera House is hosting a gala (Apr 25), along with Riverside Theatres in Parramatta (Apr 24), the Concourse Concert Hall in Chatswood (Apr 23), and The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre in Sutherland (Apr 24). The Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase is also visiting the very Art Deco Randwick Ritz (Apr 30), Casula Powerhouse (Jul 6), Penrith Panthers (May 24), the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne (May 14) and a bunch more regional venues across the east coast and regional NSW.
The Sydney Comedy Festival is bigger now than it’s ever been. It’s a great opportunity to see your favourite international headliners in the flesh, but even better, it’s your chance to get out there and discover someone you’ve never even heard of before (and laugh your ass off). Stay tuned for more Comedy Festival guidance from Time Out Sydney!
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