Ten Must-See Shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2016

Best known as the voice of US cable network Comedy Central, American comedian Kyle Kinane returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with a show called Terrestrial Woes. It’s a fitting title for a comic whose humour tends to stem from observations about everyday misfortunes. He’s a gruff but immensely likeable storyteller with a talent for making the mundane seem funny and occasionally profound. A definite standout on this year’s program, he’s only in town for a week, so make sure you check him out while you can.

The brand new Jurassic World exhibition at the Melbourne Museum isn’t the only place you can see dinosaurs this week. For when a VHS copy of Jurassic Park goes missing just before a screening at the Lyme Regis Community Centre, it falls upon the Park family to recreate the movie themselves. A sell-out hit at Edinburgh Fringe, Dinosaur Park is a tale of family dysfunction and epic adventure inspired by Steven Spielberg’s iconic film. Who needs a $100 million special effects budget when you’ve got three comedians running around the stage like dinosaurs?

As one of the most promising young faces in Australian comedy at the moment, Laura Davis has set the bar high for herself. Her previous show, the critically acclaimed Ghost Machine, won both the 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Golden Gibbo for the most creative independent show of the festival, and the Best Comedy award at the Melbourne Fringe a few months later. Her 2016 show, Marco. Polo., is described in the program as “an above-ground pool party” — and we have no idea what to expect. But that only makes us more excited to check it out.

A familiar face on panel shows like Would I Lie To You? and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Paul Foot is one of the most unique voices on the stand-up circuit today. His strange, ranty, stream-of-consciousness comedy has made him a favourite with festival audiences around the world. An Evening With Mr Paul Foot features highlights from some of his best shows in years gone by, making it a perfect primer for those unfamiliar with his work, and a must-see trip down memory lane for his fans.

A long-time local favourite, Sam Simmons took out the prestigious Barry Award at last year’s MICF for his brilliant Spaghetti for Breakfast. Now he’s back with a brand new show he’s called Not A People Person. Anyone who’s ever seen him perform before will probably agree it’s a fairly appropriate title. Prickly at the best of times, Simmons’ new act is described in the MICF 2016 program as “a brand spanking new hour of mind-blending internal self-hatred, paranoia and comedy.” With a logline like that, you know it’s gotta be funny.

Lynn Ruth Miller started her comedy career at the ripe old age of 71. More than a decade later, she’s the oldest working stand-up in the world, and in possession of one of the sharpest wits in the business. At a certain age, we suppose, nothing is off limits — so don’t be surprised to hear Miller riffing on her sex life, her two failed marriages, and why she decided to get her nipple pierced at her show This is Your Future. If we’re this fiery at her age, we’ll count ourselves very lucky indeed.

This year’s New Order stream features young comedic talent from the UK and Europe. This four-person bill will feature Adam Hess, Larry Dean and Lou Sanders, but it’s Danish stand-up, blogger and podcaster Sofie Hagen that we’re most interested in. She’s been rising rapidly up the comedic ranks — and for damn good reason. Tackling taboo topics with understated wit and charm, her act covers everything from body issues, mental health and feminism, to her own fanatical obsession with Irish boy band Westlife.

The beloved Irish comedian and his casio keyboard are back. The new show from David O’Doherty at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is a bit of a mouthful, but then what else would you expect? Jumping back and forth between standup and original songs, the award winning comic’s dorky, self-deprecating humour never ceases to entertain, whether he’s coming up with app ideas or singing about Grand Designs. It’s basically impossible to leave one of O’Doherty’s shows without a giant grin plastered across your face. He’ll also be performing excerpts from his children’s book Danger Is Everywhere in a separate show aimed at audiences aged five to eleven.

The True Australian Patriots are fed up with all you lefties, and are here to tell it like it is. Inspired by the unintentional comedy of real life organisations like Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front, Anne Edmonds, Greg Larson and Damien Power have created a spot-on send-up of bigotry in modern day Australia. If you’ve seen any of their videos, you’ll have a rough idea of what to expect. Take part in an evening of re-education, where you’ll learn the truth about all the important issues facing our country today. Did you know that vegemite is halal? Open your eyes sheeple!

Tony Blair, Oedipus Rex and the almighty Lord God himself are just a few of the colourful characters you can expect to get a mention in English comedian Sara Pascoe’s 2016 Melbourne International Comedy Festival show. As smart as she is forthcoming, Pascoe’s the kind of stand-up who’ll actually make you learn something even as you’re rolling on the floor laughing. Her new act, Animal is described as “a show about empathy and its limitations”. Colour us intrigued.