Melbourne, Perth and NZ comedy festivals

The Melbourne comedy festival has announced a record-breaking year, taking more than £8.5million at the box office.

Paying audiences were up more than six per cent to just under 490,000 over the month-long event – but they were spread over seven per cent more performances than 2012.

However they were buying more expensive tickets on average, since sales were up 12.3 per cent.

Festival director Susan Provan said: ‘We're pleased that this year's larger programme driven by a greater number of performers keen to showcase their work, was supported by a significant increase in audience numbers.

‘Melbourne provides an incredibly supportive, comedy audience-base and every year more fans from all over Australia and the world join the festivities.’

Over the three-and-a-half week event, in which Rich Hall scooped the top Barry award, there were 5,671 performances of 459 shows by 1,390 performers helped by over 1,200 support staff in 130 venues.

Meanwhile, across the Tasman Sea, Jarred Christmas, a Kiwi largely based in the UK, has won the New Zealand comedy festival’s main Fred award. He tweeted: ‘Thanks NZ for a great festival. Winning the Fred award topped off a fantastic time down here.’

Tom Binns won the award for best international show for his ‘psychic’ character Ian D Montfort, it was announced last night.

The news follows the success of Brits at the Perth comedy festival, where Stephen K Amos, Paul Foot and Josie Long all won awards at the Perth Comedy Festival.

It is the second Australian award for Foot in a month, after he scooped the ‘best of the fest’ award at Sydney.

In Perth, he took home the accolade for best international act from an all-British shortlist that also included Craig Hill, Paul Foot, Jimmy McGhie and Stephen K Amos.

Amos, meanwhile won the critics’ choice award; while Long won the ‘best of the fest’ title.

Best national act went to Lawrence Mooney; best local act to Sami Shah and the ‘next gen’ newcomer award to Ciaran Lyons.

Published: 21 May 2013