comedy festival

Yeah Nah Pavlova: The Laughs Keep Coming

Yeah Na Pavlova

Yeah Nah Pavlova Rating

★★★★★

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As the audience arrive into the cosy yet intimate venue that is Club Voltaire in North Melbourne, we are handed an ANZAC biscuit and asked to pick a side. Who invented the pavlova is the ultimate question.

Comedy duo Loud Jess (Jess Loudon) and Sandra Pace are immediately likeable, and the show hasn’t even started.

For one hour, they cover everything from politics to men, moving to New Zealand, rugby and the friendship between the two nations.

The main theme tying this show together is the age-old question: Who invented the Pavlova?

With audience participation that makes the show engaging, the duo are quick with their retorts, snappy one-liners, and they bounce off each other with incredible energy.

The women have great banter with each other, reminiscent of a young Gina Riley and Jane Turner ( Kath and Kim), and they’re incredibly comfortable in front of an audience. There’s no forced interactions, these two are naturally funny.

Yeah Na Pavlova
Yeah Na Pavlova
Yeah Na Pavlova
Yeah Na Pavlova

The show is dotted with dark humour. The subject of politics is candidly explored, and they look back on the era of Covid lockdowns, amongst other things, while talking about their lives in New Zealand – affectionately known as ‘ Across the ditch’.

The two have great energy, which is important in any comedy duo, but having a strong theme helps to tie the show all together, so it’s not just two loud girls rambling. It’s thought out, well-written and leaves just enough breathing room for improv and unplanned moments.

As for whether pavlova was invented in New Zealand or Australia, not to give away the ending, but we do get an answer as promised.

The comedy festival is wrapping up for another season, and before it goes, make sure to get down and have a laugh with Sandra and Jess. Their show is an hour of light-hearted comedy that never takes itself too seriously and is a refreshing reminder on why Australians and Kiwis love to give each other a hard time.

Yeah Nah Pavlova will be showing until April 20 at Club Voltaire in North Melbourne.

To book tickets to Yeah Nah Pavlova, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/yeah-nah-pavlova/.

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Maren May reads between no lines

Maren May Reads Between No Lines

Maren May Reads Between No Lines Rating

★★★★★

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On a Monday night at Tasma Terrace, the after-work crowd could be seen getting ready for a night of comedy and laughs.

German comedian Maren May immediately captured the audience’s attention by introducing herself as the ‘unsure German’ – a character she has been told she plays very well (maybe….. because she isn’t playing a character at all, but just being herself). Reflecting on her most recent comedy shows, she was told by an audience member that he could offer her a free autism diagnosis as he was a psychiatrist.

Thus, set up the central premise of “reading between no lines”. May recounts pondering for days what is meant when a relative says to her “that’s a summery dress” at a wedding, before realising the relative meant that the dress wasn’t appropriate for a church. Later, she asks ChatGPT what this could possibly mean. The audience cracks up, agreeing with May – why can’t people just say what they actually mean?

May cleverly noted that although when navigating everyday life, she felt as though she was missing a script that everyone else had, she liked stand-up comedy as it meant she had a script to go off.

Maren May Reads Between No Lines
Maren May Reads Between No Lines
Maren May Reads Between No Lines

Throughout the show, May reflected on her family, love life, job, and interests with an endearing and joyful spin on even the most awkward stories. Her delightfully literal interpretations and neurodivergent lens were not only hilarious but refreshingly honest. Her stories touched on a cheating ex-boyfriend, an awkward date that felt like a scene straight out of Seinfeld, and weird habits her family has.

There was something uniquely charming about how May navigated her world— overthinking eye contact, and uploading her diary entries to Chat GPT (it’s less awkward than confiding in a therapist, who you may run into in person – whereas “ChatGPT doesn’t even own a bike!”). With just the right mix of awkwardness, wit, and heart, May’s set felt both deeply personal and universally relatable.

May delivered an audience-engaging set of observant and witty jokes, with clever call backs to earlier stories that tied in well together (such as mishearing the lyrics to the classic ABBA song Dancing Queen – “why are you kicking her?”). The show finished with a surprise guest appearance by someone we all know – ChatGPT.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Maren May delivered a delightful night of witty anecdotes and laugh-out-loud jokes. Make sure to check out this show and check out the many other comedians performing during the festival.

To book tickets to Maren May Reads Between No Lines, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/maren-may-reads-between-no-lines/.

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A Very Naughty Christmas

A Very Naughty Christmas

A Very Naughty Christmas Rating

★★★★★

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‘A Very Naughty Christmas’ is back for its eighth year with a delicious new array of jaw-dropping spectacles and skits. The musical features raunchy dance showcases, brilliant Christmas parodies, and hilariously vulgar gags in what is fast becoming Australia’s best Christmas show for adults.

The star-studded cast attacks the stage with vivid confidence. The company is small yet fierce, many of whom are triple-threat performers and graduates of Performing Arts institutes from all over Australia. The show offers almost too many memorable scenes to choose a favourite, and running at just under two hours long, the spectacle is a joy to witness from beginning to end.

The most iconic of parodies include “Walking ‘Round in Women’s Underwear” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (with an expose of X-rated toys…in every store). The calibre of vocal strength among principal singers rivals the talent of Australia’s most well-known musical theatre performers. Grace Laing and Jarrod Moore win over the audience’s affection, particularly for their indulgent vocal qualities, memorable storylines, and natural on-stage charisma.

 

A Very Naughty Christmas
A Very Naughty Christmas
A Very Naughty Christmas

Asmara Soekotjo stuns as the cast’s most striking mover, unsurprisingly adorned as this season’s Dance Captain. Soekotjo takes center stage in a parody of The Police’s “Roxanne”, turned “Rudolph Put On The Red Light” where she displays her aerial and lyrical might.

Led by the idyllic Mr Santa Claus, played by Tim Paige, the musical sees several hysterical audience interactions during the evening of fun. The cast revels in mischievous antics all night by poking fun at and embarrassing the viewers unlucky enough to be scouted into the limelight by performers. For those particularly unfortunate, a segment of the audience on-stage performance could be involved.

The talented live band adds to the glossy exterior of the production without any significant reliance on pre-recorded material. High-quality lighting, production, live sound, and cast confidence are a testament to the production’s long-standing history of success.

The extravaganza of risque bliss is nestled in St Kilda’s Alex Theatre and is a Christmas show not to be missed. A Very Naughty Christmas is making its way through nine total shows running in Melbourne until December 21.

To book tickets to A Very Naughty Christmas, please visit https://melbourne.averynaughtychristmas.com/

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Diana McLaren is Defective

Diana McLaren is Defective

Diana McLaren is Defective Rating

★★★★★

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Wollongong Comedy Festival’s ‘Diana McLaren is Defective’ was a cozy affair in Wollongong’s Side Door Theatre. A hidden paradise for up-and-coming artists, the Side Door Theatre provided the perfect backdrop for Diana’s hour of comedy.

McLaren’s style of comedy relied mainly on her personal experiences, ranging from her journey with mental health, navigating the dating pool when emotionally unavailable, and circling back to specific and “weird” sex stories.

The quaint setting made for a very intimate evening without needing to undertake extensive crowdwork. Some audience members seemed disappointed at the prospect that they wouldn’t be randomly picked to talk, so they would do it when they felt they had something to contribute.

Diana’s section of her set that focused on mental health and therapy, whilst deeply personal, was an excellent display of further breaking down the taboos and stereotypes that surround diagnoses like ADHD and dysfunctional families.

She reminded us that even if we are in therapy or are thinking about going to therapy, that doesn’t mean that something is wrong or broken inside; it just means that you’ve decided to work on yourself.

Diana McLaren is Defective
Diana McLaren is Defective

I thoroughly enjoyed her analogy of driving a car that was clearly breaking down, making noises that it shouldn’t be making, the blinkers turning on the windshield wipers, and just generally being wholly unsafe and not roadworthy but saying, “This is fine! I’ll keep driving.”

Instead of going to a mechanic and getting it checked at the first sign of something not working the way it should. If you wouldn’t do that with a car, why do that to your brain?

It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance, and we hope to see Diana on stage again soon. Check-in here for more information about Diana Mclaren.

In addition, Wollongong Comedy Festival has many upcoming shows and events across July; check them out and treat yourself to an evening filled with laughter!

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