Voulez-vous laugh avec Berty Cadilhac – Melbourne Comedy Festival?

**Wednesday to Sunday until April 18**
Bar Open – 317 Brunswick St Fitzroy
Tickets: $15, $10 (conc)

After sell out shows at the St Kilda Laughs festival, French stand-up comedian  Berty Cadilhac presents his show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010.
 
Berty Cadilhac is a skilled migrant from France.  How do you prove that you are a skilled migrant when your job is stand-up  comedy? According to Berty, the customs officer simply laughed at his accent and approved his visa. This might be true, but again so might be his claim that he travels with a sea-urchin costume, or that his rabbit was killed by a tiny meteorite.
 
With a polished and unhostile approach, Berty Cadilhac tells absurd tales about his experience in Australia, from his failed attempts to be eaten by a shark, to his addiction to a popular Australian food, souvlaki.

Berty never pretends to be French or arrogant. He really is.

Jackie Loeb Sings the Worst Songs Ever Written

Comedian and musical virtuoso Jackie Loeb is back with the world debut of her brand spanking new show JACKIE LOEB SINGS THE WORST SONGS EVER WRITTEN.

Come and laugh at the most cringe worthy musical extravaganza ever to be staged! Comedian Jackie Loeb puts her vocal chops and reputation on the line to perform some of histories most appalling and pathetic excuses for songs.

This promises to worse than a Britney and Whitney concert combined!
So what songs will make it onto the list!!! You have only 5 nights to find out.

Poet Laureate Telia Nevile – While I’m Away

You’re invited to join a mighty expedition, set against a 1970s slideshow of the world’s greatest sights. Fresh from an acclaimed 2009 Melbourne Fringe season, the awkwardly intrepid Poet Laureate Telia Nevile awaits your arrival for immediate departure on a deliciously ridiculous grand tour of life, love and lyricism for the modern daydreamer.

Venturing after the 5th Duke of Devonshire, Lord Byron and Andy Kaufmann, Poet Laureate Telia Nevile has traveled the globe in her quest to become a complete artist, plumbing the depths of herself against the wondrous background of the wide, wide world. Join this socially inept and endearingly over‐sharing explorer as she poetically salutes the beginnings of young love in ‘Blue Light Disco, Green Light Romance’, explores the laneways of longevity in ‘I Built You a Monument Because You Always Attracted the Birds’, and surveys the ruins of her self‐worth in ‘This Temple of Love is a Renovator’s Dream’.

Telia Nevile is the cult Last Tuesday Society’s Poet Laureate and her subtle character‐based comedy has converted audiences from Federation Square to the Falls Festival. The slides used in the show were collected by her grandmother during overseas trips in the 1970s and are now proudly presented for your viewing pleasure.

Erin Davidson presents Unspeakable 2010 at MICF

Comedy gets the silent treatment again in 2010 as part of the Melbourne
International Comedy Festival, following the sell-out successes in 2008 and 2009. Enjoy the best in physical comedy in this unique show that shatters all language barriers.

Previously hosted by Adam Hills and Damian Callinan, Unspeakable has also featured the first ever Australian Deaf performers in the Festival – Asphyxia and Rob Roy, performing alongside stars such as The Birdmann, Sammy J & Heath McIvor and The Boy with Tape on His Face.

This year will see Justin McGinley (fresh from a world tour with Circus Oz), and Nadia Baradi – Melbourne’s first Deaf drag king – as ‘Kewl Rap’ performing music you can SEE, alongside 2009 Barry Award nominee, Asher Treleaven. The Frankston show will be hosted by Claire Hooper (Good News Week). Adam Hills (Spicks and Specks) will once again MC the Gasworks show, with a very special guest performer!

A wonderful, family-friendly show, suitable for people of all ages and comedy tastes. Produced by Erin Davidson with Gasworks Arts Park and Frankston Arts Centre, proudly supporting Vicdeaf creating arts opportunities for Deaf people.

“There should be less talk.” Mother Teresa

Bookings:
29th March – Frankston Arts Centre, Cnr Young & Davey Streets, Frankston (Victoria)
(03) 9784 1060, http://www.artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au/, or at the door

12th April – Gasworks Arts Park, 21 Graham Street, Albert Park (Victoria)
(03) 9699 3253, http://www.gasworks.org.au/, or at the door
$25.00 Adult, $15.00 Concession, $10.00 Children (under 16)
Both shows 7:30pm (90mins)

Bird Turd, Let the Bird Poop on Bad Tweets #poop

Bird Turd :: Let the Bird Poop on Bad Tweets

Bird Turd makes Twitter a game. In Bird Turd, YOU are the bird. And when you see a tweet you don‘t like, YOU CAN POOP RIGHT ON IT.!!

That‘s right, facebook doesn‘t have a dislike button, but now twitter does! So if you have a love/hate, or just a hate, relationship with twitter, you can show your dissatisfaction with Bird Turd

Princess Internet – Katherine’s Strange Blessings #Melbourne International Comedy Festival #geekgirl

Katherine’s Strange Blessings for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Or how to put on a variety show with one person or less.

Katherine has experienced many strange blessings in her life. Her new show entitled Strange Blessings being amongst them.

Strange Blessings is the story of the Blessington Community Variety Show. Every year the citizens of this small town strut their stuff: the librarian reads her saucy poetry, the plumber shows off his skills at air guitar, and Lord Mayor Frank the Bunny-Eared Angel demonstrates that his toes are indeed twinkly, performing a dance number with the mistress of ceremonies. This year something special happens when two of the performers discover true love.

Katherine says, “As a child if an activity proved creative, I was in it boots and all. So the only job that seemed to ‘sensibly’ combine my interests in comedy, writing, singing, dancing, acting, and macaroni necklaces was creator of Broadway musicals. I studied playwriting at the University of Washington where one of my schoolmates was Kyle MacLachlan.”

Katherine’s first job out of uni was editor-in-chief for a computer game magazine. This job led her to become the author of Australia’s first Internet book for the average punter, Surf’s Up: Internet Australian Style. The book sold out in a week. The media dubbed her “Princess Internet”. The book then led to a PhD scholarship for studying storytelling for computer game design at RMIT. Later it was sung on Spicks and Specks.

Since 2006 she has been working on her skills as a stand-up comedian and TheatreSports
improvisational actor performing at such venues as The Rhino Room, Comix Comedy Cellar and The Grace Emily in South Australia, and Willow Bar in Victoria. She has even done some writing for Monkeystack Animation and Nickelodeon. “I’m back doing theatre, but now I have the technological know how to do it myself using multimedia. Blessings don’t come much stranger than this.”

Strange Blessings is a one person show making use of soft toys, balloons, and audience
participation to bring quirky and endearing characters to life. It will be on throughout the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at POP Upstairs, 68 Hardware Lane, Melbourne CBD, 24 March–17 April 6-7pm Tues-Sat.

Tickets through Ticketmaster outlets or call 1300 66 00 13, Comedyfestival.com.au.

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If you’d like more information about this topic email muse@glasswings.com.au

Deadly Funny – An #Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Comedy Competition

Get ready to laugh your MOOM off with Deadly Funny – An Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Comedy Competition that celebrates distinctive humour of the First Nations Traditional Owners.

From now until March, 2010 the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is sending some of its finest comedians to ATSI communities to hold free workshops and community showcase gigs with emerging performers in search of the best up-and-coming stand-up talent.

Deadly Funny provides a unique opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to
come together, celebrate and share humour and have their deadly yarns workshopped by a professional stand-up comedian. The workshops provide deadly tips and advice on writing, performance and help boost performers’ confidence to get up on stage.

To register, contact Deadly Funny Producer Jason Tamiru (Yorta Yorta) info below. For the workshops bring along five minutes of your best comic material. Pretty much anything is ok – stand-up, a music piece, joke or a funny yarn – as long as it’s Deadly Funny. You must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to enter.

The deadliest jokesters from all six states will play off at the Deadly Funny National Grand
Final in Melbourne April 10 for their chance to win $2000 in cash and a deadly trophy.

Note: You must attend comedy workshops

Details of National workshops and to register at www.deadlyfunny.com.au

Or contact Jason Tamiru on 03 9245 3700.

Check out Mozo’s Vice Calculator and become Australia’s first vice president.

It’s on the search for Australia’s first “vice” president using the quirky Vice Calculator. The “vice” calculator shows how much you will spend on vices in your lifetime.

Here’s a chance to figure out your vices, either giggling heartedly or nervously at the results! Mozo is asking people to post their “vice score” and a campaign pledge on Facebook to win $5,000. Perhaps a great way to bring some levity to the excess of the silly season and fuel for a New Year resolution!

Check out the campaign landing page and maybe find out your vice score:

• http://mozo.com.au/vice-calculator

RAW Comedy – Registrations now open for 2010 National Heats

Who’s going to be the greatest unknown Daredevil of Funny?

The Evel Knievel of the mic?

RAW Comedy is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s annual hunt for Australia’s as yet undiscovered wit – it’s the country’s biggest, largest, fattest, most prestigious open mic competition. It gets under way for 2010 in January, with heats held across the nation.
There will be razzle-dazzle displays of blatant idiocy cloaked in heroicism as contestants willing and able to make the bravest of comedy leaps get to battle it out for the crown of 2010 RAW Comedy Winner at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April.

Anyone who has earned less than $500 from performing comedy is eligible to try their luck. Five minutes of new, original comedy material is all it takes - stand-up, sketch, double and triple acts, musical comedy are all welcome. Would be comic geniuses wishing to swap the bread-line for a punch-line can register at: www.rawcomedy.com.au

Those who want to witness the witticism of contestants with crash-proof nerves of steel as they take part in RAW Comedy heats, can find venues and dates on the website.

Heats will be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Hobart, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle, Canberra, Geelong, Wollongong and Byron Bay.

South Park Season 13 Whale Whores

Preview – it’s the Japanese!

Things turn bloody when the Japanese attack the Denver aquarium!

Ok, you’re right it is South Park highlighting the issue of dolphin slaughter in Japan – watch.

PS. Save Japan’s dolphins.