Overview
Put your laughing pants on Sydney, because the Sydney Comedy Festival is back and it's too much for non-laughing pants to handle (so don't say we didn't warn you).
This year marks the festival's tenth birthday, and yet the festival is giving you all the gifts. There's gifts for those who want to rip through the paper and find a stand-up comic, and gifts for those who want to gently unwrap the surprise of an offbeat and hard-to-describe show. Gifts for all comedic persuasions. Here are our top ten picks and remember: laughing pants.
STEEN RASKOPOULOS: I'M WEARING TWO SUITS BECAUSE I MEAN BUSINESS
Steen Raskopoulos is one of the best performers in Sydney and after this run, he'll probably be the best. His one-man sketch show at last year's festival, Bruce SpringSTEEN Live in Concert!, earned him the festival's Best Newcomer Award and he's back with even more quirky characters that only Steen's imagination and energy can bring to life. In short: one of the most hilarious nights of comedy you'll see this year. Also, if you see him after the show his name is Steen, not Steve.
The Factory Theatre, May 13-18. Tickets: $15-$22.
25TH ANNUAL SYDNEY COMEDY SPELLING BEE
"Your word is excellent."
"Can you use it in a sentence please?"
"The 25th Annual Sydney Comedy Spelling Bee is the most excellent idea for a show at this year's Sydney Comedy Festival and every person living in the Harbour City should go and see it." Comedians will be taking to the stage attempting to spell some of the most difficult and silly words in the dictionary, as well as words probably not in there. It promises to be both absurd and incredibly funny.
The Factory Theatre, May 10. Tickets $13-$16.
MATT OKINE: HAPPINESS NOT INCLUDED
It's been a pretty big 12 months for Matt Okine. After performing to sold-out venues across the world, Okine took his wit to the Triple J studio to help us all wake up in the morning and look forward to our day a little more. Thankfully he hasn't stopped doing what he is best at and is performing his new show, Happiness Not Included, at this year's festival. Your happiness is definitely included.
Thatchers Cider House at The Factory Theatre, April 30 to May 10. Tickets: $19-$29.
DIE ROTEN PUNKTE
If you like getting your laughs in the form of music, then Die Roten Punkte is the act for you. They're half Flight of the Conchords, half The Hives and all brilliant. The brother and sister from Berlin have mastered what they do to give their audiences so much more than some funny, clever songs. Their embodiment of their personas and the timing of their interactions makes for a polished show that has sold-out worldwide. Go to this.
The Factory Theatre, May 7. Tickets: $28-$32.
JUSTINE ROGERS: SHAME, YOU'RE THE WORST
Dr. Justine Rogers is a university lecturer who is the funniest doctor performing at this year's festival. Her show Shame, You're The Worst is guaranteed to be the most PowerPoint- and case study-filled comedy show you'll see this year (or ever), but her exploration of shame is refreshingly entertaining. All lectures should be this funny.
The Enmore Theatre, May 9 & 11. Tickets: $15.
BEAR PACK: FUNKALICIOUS DYNAMITE IMPRO
The Bear Pack's Carlo Ritchie and Steen Raskopoulos have a chemistry on stage with one another that is so natural that the show seems rehearsed. Not a beat is skipped and if there is a show at the 2014 SCF that will make you ROFL then this is it. You'll get something entirely new every night, so why not see all three shows?
Seymour Centre, May 8-10. Tickets: $15-$18.
FREE TO A GOOD HOME LIVE PODCAST
If you've missed the emergence of Free To A Good Home then jump on it now. The Free to a Good Home team — Ben Jenkins and Michael Hing — explore the classifieds for the oddest advertisements and discuss why they exist. It's brilliant and makes for a lot of awkward looks on silent peak hour buses when you laugh. Thankfully, now you can laugh with fellow listeners and see the magic behind the podcast (and receive a live snack report from Jenkins).
The Factory Theatre, May 3. Tickets: $11-$16.
SUSIE YOUSSEF: SKETCHUAL CHOCOLATE
Youseff is so much fun to watch in this one-woman sketch show, as she has everything at her disposal. She can play so many different characters (including invisible ones) and if the reviews of her Melbourne run are anything to go by, then this could be the stand-out of the festival.
The Factory Theatre, May 7-10. Tickets: $15.
CARLO RITCHIE: ONE MAN YARNS
No one can spit nonsense about anything and everything in the way that Ritchie does. Thankfully, he's realised it and created an improvised 50-minute show that allows him to do what he is best at. You certainly won't regret spending $15 on this.
The Enmore Theatre, May 1-4. Tickets: $15.
THEATRESPORTS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
This is worth seeing if only for the NSW champions competing. Hans & Otto (pictured above) are the most entertaining Eastern-European (impersonator) improv team you'll ever see. They are a kinetic ball of energy that won't cease until they've made you laugh as much as physically possible. Throw in the best improvisers from Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra and this is set to be a battle not to be missed.
The Enmore Theatre, April 26. Tickets: $28-$65.
The Sydney Comedy Festival is on from April 22 to May 17. For the full program and to book tickets, check out the festival website.