It’s that time again! We are so lucky to have this festival in Victoria! I’m going to let you know about two shows I’ve seen but also give some general recommendations for the festival and comedy from the comfort of home too.
Prue Blake: I caught Prue’s show with a friend and we really enjoyed it! It’s Prue’s first solo comedy festival show and for a first-timer, it was really funny! Her show ‘Unfriended’ explores some of the funny complexities of friendships, especially when you’re younger - lots to relate to! There’s a line in her show about dulce de leche which still makes me chuckle when I hear her in my head saying it. Prue could easily end up in the next crop of successful comics like Anne Edmonds and Celia Pacquola … she’s got the talent and more flying hours on stage will help polish her act.
Laura Hughes: You might recognise Laura’s face from TV shows such as At Home Alone Together and Legally Brown. Her common name, though, is the basis for this show in which she introduces us to six characters, all named Laura Hughes. The opening gambit - a TED Talk-delivering wellness guru - is strong and funny but the second of six - a woman who show jumps dogs - was a low point which I’m surprised she hasn’t ditched from the show given it’s pretty clear she can see it’s not a winner. (It’s a shame - that concept has such potential and with time it could have been so much better.) Watching Millionaire Hotseat with her ill father was a throughline of the show and the excerpts she played on stage were as baffling as they were hilarious but unfortunately the ending to the stand up routine where she circles back to the death of her father fell flat. The crowd just didn’t know what to do with such a sombre ending and there hadn’t been enough discussion of her dad through the show for us to be engaged with the return to the topic. My friend and I both agreed this is probably a 2.5 star show but in the interests of fairness, there was a man-spreading gent in the row in front of us who laughed A LOT AND VERY LOUDLY so she was obviously more up his alley than ours!
Having only caught two shows myself so far, here’s some suggestions of comics I’ve seen and loved in the past… (I can’t vouch for their 2023 shows but past quality is often a good yardstick!) Try Anne Edmonds (though she’s doing disappointingly few shows this year), Geraldine Hickey, Nath Valvo doing a best-of, Dave O’Neil & Luke Heggie.
And for those who want to LOL from your comfy couch instead of get out and see a show (BUT YOU SHOULD GET OUT AND SEE A SHOW!) here’s some great stand-up you can watch for free on ABC iView…
Celia Pacquola - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/celia-pacquola-all-talk
Zoe Coombs Marr - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/zoe-coombs-marr-bossy-bottom
Judith Lucy - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/judith-lucy-vs-men
Anne Edmonds - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/anne-edmonds-what-s-wrong-with-you
2023 MICF gala - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/melbourne-comedy-festival/series/2023/video/LE2216V001S00