melbourne international comedy festival

With comedy festivals around the country at full sail, Lano and Woodley are having a whale of a time in their new show, Moby Dick. Colin Lane and Frank Woodley join us to reflect on 30 years of their famous partnership.

Also, Tina Arena is one of our most successful musical exports. Last year she flexed new creative muscles as the artistic director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and in 2023 she joins a collective of past directors curating this year's festival.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage is renowned for her incisive, moving and witty plays about the intersections of race and class in America. Her Tony-nominated Clyde's was the most-produced play in the United States last year and its Australian premiere is now coming to the Ensemble Theatre. 

Also, Driftwood the Musical tells a true Australian story of a family's escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, and Lara Ricote, a Mexican-Venezuelan-American comedian living with a disability, questions the labels placed upon on her in GRL/LATINX/DEF. 

Not long ago, Liz Kingsman was doing improv and sketch comedy with her friends in England. Now, this Sydney-born comedian is the talk of the comedy world. She's taken her universally acclaimed satire One Woman Show to the West End, it's now on at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and her next stop is New York.

Also, Berlin art rocker siblings Otto and Astrid from Die Roten Punkte go solo together in Otto and Astrid's Joint Solo Project and Circus Oz return to the stage for the first time since 2021 when the company was threatened with closure.

Wendy Harmer is a legend of Australian media, and comedy, a mainstay since 'running away to join the circus' and the standup scene in the mid 1980s. She talks about those years at the Last Laugh and Le Joke, and also the shows that established her, 'The Big Gig' and 'World Series Debating' on the ABC. where she captained a comedy debate team each episode against Andrew Denton (who has also been a guest on this podcast).

Wendy talks about the art of the comedy debate, what separates it from straight standup, shares snippets and stories. The debate featured as the speech for this 1993 episode is 'That Australia Needs the Royal Family'

Tony has a new website for the books he has written, including Harry Highpants mentioned in this episode.

Andrew Denton's episode on Speakola is his eulogy for John Clarke.

Speakola has a Patreon page which you can join If you want to offer regular support for as little as $3/mth. We also welcome credit card donations,  which can be monthly or one off.

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Cal Wilson is in studio with us today and she's bringing some juicy stories! 

Everything from eating a pig's penis tart in the jungle, to writing jokes for Rebel Wilson backstage at the BAFTAs while watching Dame Shirley Bassey sing and making Ru Paul laugh! 
phew... that was a mouthful. 

Plus one of Harley's kids has done what Harley Breen's kids to best and injured themselves while doing parkour on the play equipment at school... Because of course they have! 

Happy Friday you little cheesy filled jaffle gooey legends! 

LINKS

• Harley Breen @harley.breen
• Nikki Britton @thenikkibritton
• Nova Podcasts Instagram @novapodcastsofficial
• For tickets to Nikki's upcoming shows head to https://comedy.com.au/tour/nikki-britton-2022/ 
• For tickets to Harley's upcoming shows head to harleybreen.com.au 
• For tickets to see Cal Wilson head to https://comedy.com.au/tour/cal-wilson-ive-gone-to-a-lot-of-trouble/ 

CREDITS
Hosts: Harley Breen & Nikki Britton 

Executive Producer: Rachael Hart

Managing Producer: Elle Beattie 

Editor: Adrian Walton

Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He'll never say it himself, in fact he'll list a tonne of other comedians he thinks are Australia's #1, but Wil Anderson (Australia's #1 in our eyes) joins the show today! 

And he's brought along his theory as to how the younger comedians are taking down the older generation cough we're looking at you Tommy Little cough*

Plus he gives us an update on how the Northern Rivers community is doing after the floods

Finally there's been a proposal and Nikki Britton's involved! 

LINKS

• Harley Breen @harley.breen
• Nikki Britton @thenikkibritton
• Nova Podcasts Instagram @novapodcastsofficial
• For tickets to Nikki's upcoming shows head to https://comedy.com.au/tour/nikki-britton-2022/ 
• For tickets to Harley's upcoming shows head to harleybreen.com.au 
• For tickets to see Wil Anderson head to https://comedy.com.au/artist/wil-anderson/ 

CREDITS
Hosts: Harley Breen & Nikki Britton 

Executive Producer: Rachael Hart

Managing Producer: Elle Beattie 

Editor: Adrian Walton

Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colin Lane and Frank Woodley are having a whale of a time in their new show, Moby Dick. The pair join us to reflect on forming their famous duo, forging separate paths and then discovering that neither of them had quite as much fun without the other.

Also, we meet comedians readjusting to life on the road in 2022, check in with theatre companies impacted by the recent floods and congratulate Bruce Gladwin, artistic director and co-CEO of Back to Back Theatre, on the company's International Ibsen Award.

Get ready for one of the most epic love stories of our generation! From maybe one of the most closet romantics, Mr Harley Breen. 
Also, you're gonna want to listen for Nikki Britton's reaction! 

Plus we chat a little bit about a bloke who spiked his sisters wedding cake. 

And we're back on stage baby!! 
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival for 2022 kicks off this week and we know you need a laugh in your life, so come see us in person! 

LINKS

• Harley Breen @harley.breen
• Nikki Britton @thenikkibritton
• Nova Podcasts Instagram @novapodcastsofficial
• For tickets to Nikki's upcoming shows head to https://comedy.com.au/tour/nikki-britton-2022/ 
• For tickets to Harley's upcoming shows head to harleybreen.com.au 

CREDITS
Hosts: Harley Breen & Nikki Britton 

Executive Producer: Rachael Hart

Managing Producer: Elle Beattie 

Editor: Adrian Walton

Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered what happens when a 41 year old man attempts to chop some wood? 
Well you're about to find out!

Actually... you're about to find out a whole lot more about Nikki and Harley's insides, be warned!

Plus Nikki Britton's maternal instincts kicked in MAJORLY while she was on the road recently ... but it's not exactly what you're thinking. 

LINKS

• Harley Breen @harley.breen
• Nikki Britton @thenikkibritton
• Nova Podcasts Instagram @novapodcastsofficial

CREDITS
Hosts: Harley Breen & Nikki Britton 

Senior Producer & Editor: Rachael Hart

Managing Producer: Elle Beattie 

Editor: Adrian Walton

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Trevorrow created Bob Downe in 1984 and the Prince of Polyester continues to reign — at this year's Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Bob Downe is bringing the classic variety television show Adelaide Tonight back to life on stage.

Also, the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore hit romantic comedy The Wedding Singer is now a stage musical and Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre have launched Because the Night — 'an immersive theatre adventure' — so, what does that mean?

Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss has been pushing the boundaries of stand-up since he was a teenager, raising topics like toxic relationships, sexual assault and the death of his sister on stage. But what toll did this material and relentless touring take on his mental health?

Also, the flamboyant actor Coral Browne left Melbourne for London in the 1930s and became a huge star, later mentoring the likes of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Now, performer Amanda Muggleton and director Nadia Tass are telling her unbelievable story on stage.

When Michael Shafar graduated from high school with a teriary entrance score of 99.95, a world of study options lay before him. The Mount Scopus College alumnus choose a challenging route: a dual degree in Law and Biomedical Science. For a period it looked as if a conventional career as a lawyer or doctor beckoned. But a deeper passion for stand-up comedy – first ignited during high school debating – was calling Shafar elsewhere.

In 2016, Shafar reached the Grand Final of the prestigous RAW Comedy National. The following year he sold-out his show, Jewish-ish, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Soon Channel 10's The Project offered him a gig writing jokes for the popular daily TV show. 

In recent years this rising star of Australian comedy has survived two bouts of cancer and turned 30. Performing for the first time in over 12 months, he's desperate to make up for lost time. 

For the last decade, Widjabul woman Rhoda Roberts has been reshaping how First Nations stories are seen and heard at the Sydney Opera House. Now, as she steps down as head of First Nations programming, how far have we travelled and what remains to be done?

Also, with comedy festival season upon us, musical comedian Jude Perl lifts our spirits at the piano, and we look at the new Spanish and English audio play Romeo y Julieta and learn how Shakespeare's plays take on new layers of meaning in Latin America.

What links cats, dogs & barely adequate employees? The answer is Cal Wilson!

Originally from New Zealand, she is one of Australia's most loved comedians

and this is her show 'Gifted Underachiever' recorded live at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2019

***Warning: This podcast contains swearing and adult concepts***

This show is called 'Cake In The Rain' and talks about intense issues like hostile strangers, stolen spam and an apocalypse on a tram.

Laura is funny, loud and has won Best Independent Show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Best Comedy at the Melbourne Fringe.

This show was recorded at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne.

***Warning: This podcast contains swearing and adult concepts***

-Dil is one of the most refreshing and exciting voices in Australian comedy, don’t miss his brand new show.

5 Stars Herald Sun, 2018

My guest is Natalie Harris, a stand up comedian who has been making a name for herself on the Melbourne comedy scene.

For her comedy wasn’t a latent discovery - she has long thought it was “the only thing she was good at” - but the decision to act on that impulse to follow her creative pursuits has only come about towards the end of her twenties - and only now, a few years in, is she discovering her voice. 

Nat is one of a handful of people in the world that makes me literally LOL whenever I am in her presence. We first got to really know each other while working behind the scenes on the ABC TV series Twentysomething around the time she was beginning to make inroads into stand-up.

An ongoing theme - one that seems to have popped with my last couple of guests - is the discovery of passions either later than they expected or while in the pursuit of something else entirely. For Nat, it was as if she always knew this is what she wanted to be doing, but she was just waiting for… permission, a sign, for it to seem like she was allowed to step into the ring and attempt it. Due to changing like circumstances, her attitude shifted towards one of “why not” - well, those weren’t exactly he words - and lucky for us now she is well and truly on a path of discovery.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh sits down with Melbourne comedian Dilruk Jayasinha to discuss the recent Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and about how to best adjust to life in Melbourne. Scott also joins Josh to compare a ridiculously specific and dumb facet of WA's and Victoria's public transport.

After moving East from Western Australia in March of 2016, Josh Martin is Victoria's newest Melbournite. Each week he experiences something different that Melbourne has to offer, speaks about the new challenges he has to face, and whinges about how cold it is in Victoria. Listen to I'm Not From Here live, Thursdays from 10:00PM EST, on SYN Nation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.