Born in Iran and raised in England, Shappi Khorsandi has delighted audiences world-wide with her unique, tongue-in-cheek sense of humour that covers a range of topics from personal dating experiences, to racism and the exile of her family from Iran shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Khorsandi has performed previously at the Melbourne International Comedy…
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Meet UK comedian Sara Pascoe: clever, opinionated and vivaciously funny. She also appeared on (and won) an episode of QI last year so she’s probably the coolest person ever. Sara Pascoe VS the Truth, showing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 20, is Pascoe’s Australian Premiere and should not be missed! Comedian…
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On any given Saturday night, The Duke of Wellington in Melbourne’s CBD is bursting at the seams with beer-and-parma loving patrons. For the next month, the pub grub hoards will be joined by some of the country’s best and brightest for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. A little after six, a small, eclectic crowd had…
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The 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival kicks off this week and here at Lip we are excited to introduce our Ladies of Comedy series of Q&As, featuring some of the talented female comedians who will be performing at the festival. Hailing from the USA, Adrienne Truscott brings her show ‘Asking for it: A one-lady rape…
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Presented by Darebin Arts’ Speakeasy, More Female Parts is a suite of three monologues written by Sara Hardy specifically to be performed and directed by Evelyn Krape and Lois Ellis, respectively. Inspired by the original Female Parts, a series of monologues written in 1977 by Italian duo Dario Fo and Franca Rame, Hardy’s new work…
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‘NSFW’ (Not Safe For Work) is Melbourne’s Red Stitch Actors Theatre’s final production for 2013. Written by UK playwright Lucy Kirkwood and directed by Tanya Dickson, NSFW is an exposé of the media world that doesn’t quite manage to deliver on its edgy name, but is touching and incisive in parts. The play takes place over…
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In a phone interview last week with writer, director and performer Michelle Higgs about her new play ‘And Then There Were 3’, I was filled in on the in-and-outs and up-and-downs of playwriting and parenting. Debuting at the Street Theatre, Canberra from December 4-8, ‘And Then There Were 3’ is a play centred on…
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Cary Grant and Burt Reynolds are Jerry Lewis’ favourite funny ladies. The old trickster recently enlightened the beautiful people of Cannes to exactly what he thinks of women in comedy. When asked to name comediennes he liked, he listed the two above. When the interviewer recovered and started to get all, ‘Seriously though, what about…
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The struggle of women varies from one cultural context to the next and it’s often difficult for those outside to effectively assist their sisters in other parts of the world. It can be challenging to put together a culturally sensitive campaign that helps, rather than hinders the progress of women living in a different context…
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Disgruntled fans walked out of Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Saturday after comedian Tracy Morgan let loose a sexist rant. The audience members had paid $70 a ticket to see the 30 Rock star as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, but that was not incentive enough for all to sit out the tirade. The…
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Pippa Evans is a comedian who isn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics. Fascinated by her performance, Bipolar, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I sat down with Evans to discuss comedy, feminism and her outspoken character Loretta Maine. While your character, Loretta Maine, is quite bawdy and shocking, a lot of what she says is thought-provoking. Do…
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Nina Conti returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for another year of puppetry and improv with her latest show, Dolly Mixtures. The versatile ventriloquist introduces a range of new characters including her child, Nina, a former philosophy professor, and hunky builder, Stefan. The show combines Conti’s self-referential humour with the risky element of audience…
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Last night I found myself lined up outside the Powder Room of Melbourne’s Town Hall, waiting to go see Loretta Maine’s new show, Bipolar, part of this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I had never heard of Loretta Maine before, but a quick Google on my phone assured me that she was ‘sexy’ and ‘psychotic.’ …
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Inside is a captivating and bizarre show by Frank Woodley and acrobat/physical comedian Simon Yates. Performed in the Famous Spiegeltent as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Inside is a must-see for those looking some something out-there this comedy season. It is edgy and often nonsensical, reminiscent of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist plays. Woodley’s…
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