Sydney Comedy Festival: the guide

When we saw Rhys Nicholson’s last stand-up show, we said: “Most comedians would kill to hear the almost unending screams of laughter Nicholson manages to extract from a crowd.” And we really mean it – the local comedian is one of the funniest in the business with his lightning-fast acerbic wit, and we always look forward to seeing what subjects he’ll wrap his sharp tongue around each year.

In the last year, Nazeem Hussain became a father, starred in his own sketch series (Orange is the New Brown), and scored a stand-up special on Netflix. Now he’s returning to his stand-up roots with a show that’s sure to tackle all of the recent developments in his life. He’s also one of the most incisive comedians when it comes to race in Australia, so we’re hoping he’ll have some new insights for this new show.

Woy Woy’s very own Felicity Ward was recently picked by Amy Schumer as the support act for her UK dates. And she’s certainly one of our funniest exports, as the first Australian to be given a ‘Live from the BBC’ comedy special. Ward is returning to Sydney with her latest solo show to “bust a nut-ful of jokes” all over local audiences. Bring protection for your funny bone.

Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss might still be in his twenties, but he’s a veritable veteran of stand-up, and has already got a series of Netflix specials under his belt. His controversial and challenging shows are always among our favourites. We loved last year’s set – in which he questioned whether or not he was actually a sociopath – and said that if he continues on the same track he could become “one of the greats” of stand-up. So obviously catch him now before he reaches those heights.

Comedy giant and honorary Australian Stephen K Amos is back with a show that’s all about the last ten years on stage. It will feature new material alongside some classic bits and the incisively funny – but never threatening – audience participation for which Amos is best known. He’s always popular and with just two shows in Sydney you’ll want to get in quick. Especially because he says it could be his farewell.

Jan Van de Stool is an international musical therapist and the alter-ego of musical theatre and cabaret star Queenie van de Zandt. If you’re into character-based comedy, killer singing and showtunes, head along to one of the Woy Woy-based guru's “workshops”, where you’ll gain essential skills and the confidence to live your best life.

Neel Kolhatkar is only in his twenties but has been honing his skills ever since he won the Class Clowns competition at just 15 years of age. Since then he’s filmed three stand-up specials, a bunch of TV shows and has become hugely popular on YouTube, amassing tens of millions of views online.

Larry Dean tackles all sorts of issues – from sodomy to self-esteem – and is one of the leading members of the new Scottish guard of stand-up. Although his style might be more modern and thoughtful than a lot of his counterparts, he’s still got that classic Scottish comedian way of spinning a yarn – and his jokes are all killer.

Alice Fraser is an ex-corporate lawyer who quit the profession when she found she was writing more jokes than contracts. She’s had a fast rise in comedy, having gained a significant following thanks to her stand-up gigs and podcasts. Her cheery and disarming style has seen her sell out shows in Edinburgh, London and New York, and her upcoming show is all about the lies we tell about ourselves.

Nina Oyama is making her solo stand-up show debut with this set about her journeys as a black market taxi driver. But she’s definitely not a newcomer to comedy, having appeared at Just For Laughs at the Sydney Opera House, on the ABC series Utopia, and as a reporter for Tonightly with Tom Ballard.