Comedy shows that have already made a splash down under

There's always a good two-way trade between Edinburgh and the world's biggest comedy-only festival down under. Here are 10 great shows we saw at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival...

Greg Larsen: Revolting

Greg Larsen got a profile bump in the UK playing Ethan Krum in Jamie Dornan’s BBC One thriller The Tourist, but he’s a well-established stand-up on the Australian festival circuit. This year’s show offers a plunge into his wild past, defined by plenty of bad decisions. But does he regret them? Not one bit, in this hilarious extortion to seize the day… because only then will you end up with great stories like he has! Review

Underbelly Bristo Square, 7.15pm

Lou Wall: The Bisexual's Lament

Lou Wall brilliantly conveys the Gen Z experience in a very Gen Z with a wild mashup of video content, musical interludes and social media interactions alongside stand-up with a flippant attitude to their mental health woes. This show is all about being ‘the first lesbian ever to go through a break-up’ among much else - but rarely do trauma dumps offer a ride this wild. Review

Pleasance Courtyard, 10.20pm

Bronwyn Kuss: Sounds Good

Bronwyn Kuss won this year’s Pinder Prize – named after Melbourne festival co-founder and mach-missed promoter John Pinder – to help get a breakthrough antipodean comic to the Fringe. The deadpan Kuss is actually brining her 2023 show to Edinburgh, a dry, world-weary account of her working-class family in rural Queensland – which might be a long way away, geographically, but will still be very relatable to Brits. Review

Assembly George Square 6:40pm 

Dan Rath: Pariah Carey

One of the most distinctive voices in Australia at the moment, Dan Rath has developed the persona of an abject loser, barely surviving on the fringes of society with a bleak outlook on a life that’s given him a battering. Although it may not immediately sound it, his misanthropic misery is actually darned funny thanks to his smart but offbeat writing.  Review

Underbelly Bristo Square, 9.50pm

Furiozo: Man Looking for Trouble

Not antipodean, but the creation of a Polish clown, Furiozo was one of the shows that became an underground hit among other comedians at Melbourne, with Piotr Sikora’s bare-chested coke-and-testosterone-fuelled gangster eventually revealing a softer side, with the aid of contributions from game audience volunteers. Review

Underbelly Cowgate: 9:40pm

Hot Department

Honor Wolff and Patrick Durnan Silva are bringing sexy back in their unhinged, super-energetic approach to sketch comedy. Messy, fast-paced and utterly wild their manic, kinky show will not be to all tastes, but the powerhouse performance will win over many waverers. Review

Pleasance Courtyard, 9.25pm

Laura Davis: Albatross

Smart and ambitious comic Laura Davis has now made Edinburgh their home, with this new show inspired – in part – by finding a large number of dead birds on a beach. As usual, though, this is but one layer of a complex show, seeking a poetic profundity in complicated world as Davis contemplates loneliness, community and post-imperialism. But it is also as funny as it is thoughtful, not least thanks to the comic’s strong sense of self-awareness.  Review

Monkey Barrel Comedy, 2.55pm

Melanie Bracewell: Attack of the Melanie Bracewell

Kiwi Melanie Bracewell is a more mainstream offering, but her story is so precisely constructed, and she such an engaging presence, that the audience becomes fully invested in a tale of lost AirPods, which also takes in some brilliantly observed comedy of the everyday and some  discussion of her fear of conflict that never feels introspective. It’s hilarious stuff with a deceptive light touch.  Review

Pleasance Courtyard, 5.50pm

Ray O'Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger

The best routine about bed linen you’ll hear all Fringe, and that’s guaranteed. The deadpan New Zealander is an expert at examining life’s minutiae from every possible angle and offering his wry take on it all Review

Assembly George Square 5:20pm

Two Hearts: Til Death Do Us Hearts

Another Kiwi act, real-life husband and wife Joseph Moore and Laura Daniel use the after-party of their own wedding as the jumping-off point for this banging musical comedy show. They parody pop music so well because they love it, which comes across in their own powerhouse performances. Review

Pleasance Courtyard, 11pm

Published: 23 Jul 2024