International acts back on Melbourne festival line-up

British comedians are to return to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the first time in three years after Australia relaxed its Covid rules.

Borders will be open to vaccinated overseas visitors from Monday – just in time for the festival’s return.

The 2020 event was cancelled as coronavirus took hold, and last year’s event was held despite the shadown of tight restrictions. But on March 30 the world’s second largest gathering of comedians after the Edinburgh Fringe will be back, with more than 400 shows already on sale. 

Brits and Irish acts visiting Melbourne include Phil Wang unveiling his new stand-up show The Real Hero In All This; sister duo Flo & Joan with their latest show, Sweet Release; festival favourite David O’Doherty; Fern Brady tackling death and other issues in Autistic Bikini Queen; and Mark Watson with his new show, This Can’t Be It.

Other international stand-ups performing in the almost four-week-long festival include Carl Donnelly, Stephen K Amos, Arj Barker, Jason Byrne, Jeff Green and John Hastings.

Chortle will also be back reporting – and reviewing – from the festival.

For more details, visit the official Melbourne International Comedy Festival website.

Published: 16 Feb 2022