Comedy Festival: The Gala

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is here. Beginning with The Gala, comedy’s night of nights, hundreds of comedy acts from Melbourne, interstate and abroad will be performing at various venues around Melbourne right up until the 22nd of April this year.

Now in it’s 26th year, the Comedy Festival is without doubt the world wide destination of choice for anyone who loves comedy. A visit to the Festival website confirms the wide choice, the breadth and depth of shows being performed by some of the best comedians of our age.

If you have never experienced the Comedy Festival then now is your chance to immerse yourself in the rich, highly entertaining and sometimes wacky productions available. We have our own favourites which we will feature on this blog throughout the duration of the Festival.

Tickets for shows cost as little as $15 and are available through the Comedy Festival website. Some shows such as The Gala, held last night, or The 23rd Annual Great Debate at Melbourne Town Hall on the 8th April 2012 have sold out, however there are still plenty of other shows which will have you laughing.

Sarah Quinn

Some shows we recommend are: Best of British at the Exford Hotel, between 28th and 21st April, which features three acts from the UK each night. Headliners, the cream of American comedy at the Hifi Bar and Ballroom from 29th March to 8th April and amongst the smaller acts this year our pick is the delightful Sarah Quinn performing Weird Lonely Strangers at the Tuxedo Cat, Flinders Lane Melbourne.

Other highlights of the Festival are the Kids Comedy sessions which are great for all the family, this section of the Festival has become increasingly popular over the years and is great if you have kids and are looking for some amusement for them away from the XBox or television.

Judging from the televised success of The Gala last night and the wide variety of wonderful acts that have been assembled in this month long festival, this year will be another triumph for the world renowned event.

The range of venues available makes it possible to tailor your night to the shows you choose to see. If you’re going to a show at a venue in the city then you might have dinner or drinks before the show, or perhaps start your night out with a bit of comedy before heading out to a music venue or bar. Afternoon shows are great for those with families and the Kids Comedy can’t be ignored if you have children. Make a day of it, what a better thing to do with the kids than Comedy and Luna Park for example.

Check out the MICF website or phone Ticketmaster on 1300 660 013 to book tickets. Tickets are also available at the door of most shows, however to avoid any possible disappointment we would suggest that booking is the best way to get tickets.

One feature of the Comedy Festival that we particularly admire and deserves special mention is the availability of some shows for the deaf. As in previous years, this year the festival will have various shows accessible to patrons who use AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language). Many festival venues are also wheelchair accessible which helps ensure that virtually nobody is excluded from enjoying the festival.

It’s sure to be a great year for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and we encourage you to get out of your chairs and head out to see some famous and emerging acts.