The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is held each April in a number of venues across Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ...

History

MICF is an important event on the Australian cultural . Since its inception in 1987 the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has grown to be the third largest in the world, behind the Edinburgh Fringe and Montreal Just for Laughs Festivals. The Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston and Collins Streets is the central hub of activity for the duration of the festival. Trades Hall is the second major festival venue, and other shows are performed in pubs and clubs throughout the Central Business District and inner city suburbs. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A street performer on the Royal Mile, with volunteer (2004). ... Just for Laughs (in French Juste Pour Rire) is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec. ... During the Melbourne International Comedy Festival the Melbourne Town Hall acts as venue to a large number of the performances. ... Swanston Street, looking north from the corner of Bourke Street Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. ... Collins Street, looking West from the Collins Street / Swanston Street Super Stop Collins Street, looking East from Swanston Street The bottom end of Collins Street, in between William and King Street Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west. ... Trades Hall is a building in the suburb of Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

At its heart, the MICF consists of hundreds of shows - 282 shows in 2007 - most of which perform every night for the three weeks of the Festival. Shows range from local comedians performing to a few dozen people to major international acts performing to packed theatres.

In its early years, the MICF invited special guests of international repute. The very first was the British comedian, Peter Cook, whose participation is commemorated in the name given to the temporary bar that is set up in the Town Hall each year. As a major event, the MICF now attracts dozens of international performers from the UK and North America. Regular international performers over the years have included Dave Gorman, Arj Barker, Rich Hall, Daniel Kitson, Maria Bamford, Demetri Martin, Ross Noble and Henry Rollins. Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English satirist, writer and comedian. ... David James Gorman (born March 2, 1971) is a documentary comedian and humourist. ... Arj Barker (born August 12, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian from California. ... Rich Hall (born 1954 in Waxhaw, North Carolina) is an American comedian and writer. ... Daniel Kitson (born June 19th, 1978) is a British stand-up comedian. ... Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian. ... Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an Emmy Award-nominated American comedian, actor, musician, and writer, best known for his work as a stand-up comedian and as a contributor on The Daily Show. ... Ross Noble, born 6 June 1976 an English stand-up comedian, raised in Cramlington, Northumberland. ... Henry Rollins (born February 13, 1961 as Henry Lawrence Garfield[1]) is an American Grammy Award-winning alternative rock singer and songwriter, spoken word artist, book author (prose and poetry), radio and TV personality, occasional movie actor, comedian, and voice-over artist. ...

The MICF also draws together Australia's own comedic talent and has provided a launching pad for many successful careers. Regular local performers over the years have included Dave Hughes, Wil Anderson, Adam Hills, Paul McDermott, Tim Minchin, Judith Lucy, Greg Fleet and Lano and Woodley. Rod Quantock holds the distinction of having performed at each of the 21 Festivals. David William Hughesy Hughes (born 26 November 1970 in Warrnambool, Victoria) is an Australian stand-up comedian, radio and television presenter. ... This article is about the Australian comedian. ... Adam Hills, (born in Sydney in 1970) is an Australian comedian. ... Paul McDermott (born May 13, 1962) is an Australian musical comedian and television host. ... Tim Minchin. ... Judith Lucy Judith Lucy (born March 25, 1968) is a popular Australian comedienne, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. ... Greg Fleet - Comedian & Actor Gregory Greg Fleet is a successful Australian comedian and actor. ... Colin Lane (left) and Frank Woodley (right) Lano and Woodley (Colin Lane and Frank Woodley) were one of Australias most successful Australian comedy duos of the 1990s and 2000s. ... Rod Quantock (born 19??) is an Australian stand-up comedian and writer. ...

The festival also consists of several other annual . Raw Comedy is a nationwide competition for amateur comedians. The finalists perform their material in front of a live audience, which is then recorded and broadcast on Australia's public broadcaster, the ABC. The winner and often other finalists usually get a festival-sponsored and promoted gig the next year. In a similar vein is Class Clowns, a festival-sponsored competition to find the funniest secondary school student. 2004 Raw Comedy winner Nick Sun Raw Comedy is an Australian competition for emerging stand-up comedians, established in 1996 and held annually since. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Since 1994, the festival has produced Upfront, a night featuring the best of Australia's female comedians. This is also usually broadcast by the ABC. Most years there is also a Great Debate, a televised comedy debate held in the Town Hall, which was most famous in its heyday of the mid-1990s when it was hosted by Campbell McComas and regularly featured Andrew Denton. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Comedy debate, is an organised debate event held purely for the entertainment of the audience, as opposed to more formal styles. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Campbell McComas (May 5, 1952 - January 8, 2005) was an Australian comedian, writer and actor. ... Andrew Denton on the poster for his film God On My Side Andrew Christopher Denton (born May 4, 1960) is an Australian comedian and television presenter, and is the host of the ABCs weekly interview program Enough Rope. ...

The main event is the Comedy Festival Gala, a showcase of short performances by many (mostly international) headline and award-winning comedians. Also held at the Town Hall, the Gala is usually performed and recorded at the start of the Festival and broadcast a week or two later, currently on Channel Ten. Performers give their time for free and a large proportion of the money raised goes to Oxfam, with regular requests for donations made by the comedians during the broadcast. On the last night of the festival there is another benefit show, this time to raise money for the Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award, which funds new and innovative comedy. Channel Ten is one of Australias three commercial television channels, broadcasted by Network Ten. ... Oxfam International is an international confederation of 13 independent non-governmental organisations founded in 1995 and dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. ...

A newer addition is The Roadshow, which sees a number of comedians tour around regional centres where people may not have had the opportunity to visit the festival itself.

A The 20-hour Comedy Lock In special event was planned in 2006 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the MICF. Sadly, due to legal difficulties, it had to be truncated to a shorter event, beginning at midnight and finishing at 7:00am. In the HiFi Bar, the audience was kept entertained by MC, Daniel Kitson, and a stream of local and international comedy acts. Daniel Kitson (born June 19th, 1978) is a British stand-up comedian. ...

342,204 tickets were sold to the 2006 Festival, bringing in ticket revenue of $7.6 million. This makes the Festival the second most attended event in Melbourne, behind the Australian Open. ^[1] The Australian Open is the first of the worlds four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, held each January at Melbourne Park. ...

Awards

The award for the best performer at the MICF is the Barry Award, named for Barry Humphries. There are also awards for Best Newcomer and the Piece of Wood Award, which is voted for by performers. John Barry Humphries AO (born 17 February 1934 in Kew, Melbourne) is an Australian comedian, satirist and character actor best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife, and Sir Les Patterson, Australias foul-mouthed cultural attaché to Britain. ...

Comedians who have appeared at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (incomplete)

• The Shambles (community television program) with Sos, Valvo & Lynchy
• Akmal Saleh
• Simon Pampena
• Cal Wilson
• Eddie Perfect
• Wil Anderson (MC - 2002)
• Tripod
• Adam Hills (MC - 2006)
• Fiona O'Loughlin
• Danny Bhoy
• Jimeoin
• Dan Ilic
• Dave Hughes (MC - 2003, 2005)
• Lano and Woodley
• Stephen K. Amos
• Rich Hall
• Daniel Kitson
• Anthony Morgan
• Charlie Pickering
• Corinne Grant
• Denise Scott
• Greg Fleet
• Judith Lucy
• Peter Helliar (MC - 2007)
• GUD
• Jason Byrne
• Mark Trevorrow (aka Bob Downe)
• Craig McLachlan
• Dave Gorman
• Arj Barker
• Julian Clary
• Ross Noble
• Dylan Moran
• Paul McDermott
• Henry Rollins
• Nick Sun
• Carl Barron
• Noel Fielding
• Xavier Susai (RAW 2007 National Finals)
• Tim Minchin
• Simon Munnery
• Demetri Martin
• Vaya Pashos
• Shappi Khorsandi
• David O'Doherty

The Shambles is an Australian television sketch comedy program shown on the community television station C31 Melbourne. ... Akmal Saleh is an Australian comedian. ... Simon Pampena is an Australian mathematician, and comedian. ... Cal Wilson is one of New Zealands most successful comedians. ... Eddie Perfect is an Australian actor, comedian and musician. ... This article is about the Australian comedian. ... Tripod is an Australian musical comedy act specialising in improv, parody and satire. ... Adam Hills (born in Sydney in 1970) is an Australian comedian. ... Fiona OLoughlin is an Australian comedian, known primarily for her stand-up comedy and for her television performances, on ABC tvs Spicks and Specks, Rove Live, and series of popular soup advertisements. ... Danny Bhoy (Real name:Chaudry, Date of birth 16/01/75) is an East Indian-Scottish comedian who has found success in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. ... Jimeoin (born Jimeoin McKeown on January 24, 1966 and grew up in Portstewart in Northern Ireland); a Northern Irish-Australian stand-up comedian and actor. ... David William Hughesy Hughes (born 26 November 1970 in Warrnambool, Victoria) is an Australian stand-up comedian, radio and television presenter. ... Colin Lane (left) and Frank Woodley (right) Lano and Woodley (Colin Lane and Frank Woodley) were one of Australias most successful Australian comedy duos of the 1990s and 2000s. ... Stephen K. Amos is a British stand-up comedian. ... Rich Hall (born 1954 in Waxhaw, North Carolina) is an American comedian and writer. ... Daniel Kitson (born June 19th, 1978) is a British stand-up comedian. ... Charlie Pickering (born 1977)is a successful Australian comedian, who has performed stand up comedy since 2000, appearing in multiple festivals, both in Australia and around the world. ... Corinne Grant (born June 12, 1973) is an Australian comedian and television presenter. ... Denise Scott Denise Scott is a popular Melbourne-based stand-up comedian, actor and radio personality. ... Greg Fleet - Comedian & Actor Gregory Greg Fleet is a successful Australian comedian and actor. ... Judith Lucy Judith Lucy (born March 25, 1968) is a popular Australian comedienne, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. ... Peter Helliar with Rove McManus on Rove Live Peter Jason Matthew Helliar (born June 16, 1975) is an Australian comedian and television personality. ... GUD is an Australian comedic music based trio including Paul McDermott, Cameron Bruce and Mick Moriarty. ... Jason Byrne was born in Dublin. ... Mark Trevorrow is an Australian comedian, television host and media personality. ... Craig Dougal McLachlan (born September 1, 1965 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian actor and singer, best known for his role as Ed in Bugs. ... David James Gorman (born March 2, 1971) is a documentary comedian and humourist. ... Arj Barker (born August 12, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian from California. ... Julian Clary (born as Paul Ross McNamara 25 May 1959) is an English comedian who is openly gay and known for his camp style, with a heavy reliance on innuendo and double entendre. ... Ross Noble, born 6 June 1976 an English stand-up comedian, raised in Cramlington, Northumberland. ... Dylan Moran (born November 3, 1971) is a good (but not great) Irish comedian, actor and writer. ... Paul McDermott (born May 13, 1962) is an Australian musical comedian and television host. ... Henry Rollins (born February 13, 1961 as Henry Lawrence Garfield[1]) is an American Grammy Award-winning alternative rock singer and songwriter, spoken word artist, book author (prose and poetry), radio and TV personality, occasional movie actor, comedian, and voice-over artist. ... Nick Sun Nick Sun is a stand-up comedian from Sydney, Australia. ... Carl Barron is an Australian comedian. ... Noel Fielding (born 21 May 1973 in Westminster, London, England) is an English comedian and actor, most famous for his role as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh. ... Xavier Susai Xavier Susai(born September 5, 1983) is an Australian stand up comedian, management consultant and youth development speaker. ... Tim Minchin. ... Simon Munnery, also known by his stagenames of Alan Parker: Urban Warrior and The League Against Tedium, is an English comedy writer and experimental standup comedian. ... Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an Emmy Award-nominated American comedian, actor, musician, and writer, best known for his work as a stand-up comedian and as a contributor on The Daily Show. ... Shappi Khorsandi (also known as Shaparak Khorsandi) is a British-Iranian comedian based in London. ... Stands at the EsatBT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in January, 2005. ...

See also

• The Groggy Squirrel

The Groggy Squirrel (or TGS as it is commonly referred to) is the trade paper of the Melbourne Comedy Industry. ...

References

1. ^ Ziffer, Daniel, "Gagging for cash", The Age, April 14, 2007. Accessed May 4, 2007.

External links

• Official Melbourne International Comedy Festival site