comedy - Whats The Show

The Spooky Men For Celebratory Qld Tour – From 27 May

18/04/2026 Breaking News

Feature-The Spooky Men’s Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur - An Anniversary Tour

After a ‘warm up’ concert in Melbourne 3 May, the bearded, hatted, sensational singers celebrate “25 years of Pointless Grandeur” in Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Maleny & Noosa – before dropping into Sydney… then heading overseas for a 28-gig UK tour!

The spooky story so far…
On 4 August 2001, at Eastside Paddington Church, a genial scrum of bearded fellows shuffled onto the stage. How could any of us have known that 25 years later they would still be at it after nearly 1000 gigs, 8 albums, 14 tours of UK/Europe, and the small matter of singlehandedly redefining men’s singing?

But they are. And now, in the grandiose arena of the Enmore Theatre, the Spooky Men will celebrate their birthday with a show not quite like any other they have done. It will be a birthday party, a retrospective, and a showcase of everything they have become. There will be a number of chunky gems from the past, but also the very best pickings from their current spooky tool bag.

“It takes a rare skill to be very silly, thoughtful, and sing in perfect harmony, but the Spooky Men’s Chorale manage to achieve just that.” – The Guardian

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The Spooky Men are not easy to describe: Founded by Stephen Taberner and Inspired by the great Georgian choirs of the Caucasian mountains, they aim to both celebrate and mock masculinity with a unique cocktail of mighty boofiness, charming stupidity, and exquisite tenderness that may well bring a tear to your eye.

Each show is a journey rich with theatrical and storytelling elements, but what is most notable is the humanity that is evoked. No subject is too trivial or weighty for their attention, and such ability to find new musical rooms to explore contributes greatly to their astonishing fan loyalty.

But, says Taberner, there is more: “This show will also offer the chance to join a massed audience choir, The Axis of Spook for a ridiculous musical sensurround experience. There will be special spooky guests, a musical favourites lottery and a massed spooky man finale!” And other surprises, too.

“Gird your loins: this is the one spooky show in the history of spooky shows that you should not miss….”
“Sheer musical excellence – like the ghosts of choristers long gone” Sydney Morning Herald

Iconic, eccentric, lyrical, larrikin… always supremely entertaining… The Spooky Men’s Chorale are very proud to announce their VERY SPOOKY QUEENSLAND TOUR from 27 MAY!

The Spooky Men’s Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur – An Anniversary Tour

Melbourne Recital Centre Sun 3 May 7pm

Queensland Tour:
Wed 27 May – QLD Conservatorium Theatre 7.30pm
Thu 28 May – Macleay Island Community Hall 6.30pm
Sat 30 May – Ipswich Civic Centre 7.30pm
Sun 31 May – Toowoomba Empire Theatre 2pm
Thu 4 June – Hota Gold Coast 7.30pm
Fri 5 June – Maleny Community Centre 7.30pm
Sat 6 June – The J. Noosa 7.30pm

Thurs 11 June – Enmore Theatre, Sydney

All bookings www.spookymen.com

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A Bold, Witty, and Unflinchingly Honest Exploration of the Human Psyche in Musical Form

14/04/2026 Kylie-Margaret Valentine🆕

Initial Consult: Taking diet culture to therapy Rating

★★★★★

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Charlotte Grimmer’s Initial Consult- Taking diet culture to therapy (2026 MICF) at The MC Showroom is a bold, witty, and unflinchingly honest exploration of the human psyche. Grimmer is a graduate of NIDA Acting program, a high school dance and drama teacher. Charlotte has performed this show in Edinburgh, Sydney and the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Bursting straight through the waiting room, Charlotte Grimmer’s initial court-mandated therapy session begins-and we, the audience find ourselves cast as the therapist. This fresh and fearless musical invites us into a hilariously triggering session filled with tap, rap, dance, and masterful keyboards. Grimmer’s performance showcases her diverse vocals, sharp wit and impressive comedic skillset.

The shows engaging narrative grapples with mental health, diet culture, perfectionism and the messy nuances of how we cope. Charlotte works the packed audience brilliantly- making pointed uncomfortable and knowing eye contact with every “therapist” in the room in moments that are at once awkward, hilarious, and deeply relatable. One moment the audience squirms, triggered and defensive: the next, they erupt with applause and laughter.

The stage is set with minimalist flair: a chair, a keyboard, and a side table adorned with tissues, a plant, and a pot. By the end of the performance, it resembles the floor of a teenager’s bedroom. Each prop is purposefully placed and thoughtfully used. Grimmer’s inventive excellence is evident in every detail—every movement, and exaggerated facial expression, and lyric is meticulously placed—creating a remarkably clever and cohesive piece highlighting Grimmer’s inventive flair and keen attention to detail.

Sadly, Melbourne, Charlotte Grimmer has wrapped up her season and is heading back to Queensland. The MC Showroom is conveniently located near plenty of pubs and dining options and has a licensed bar for enjoying a drink during the performance —ideal for steadying one’s nerves before this funny therapeutic ride. Patrons should note that accessibility is limited, with 25 stairs and no all-access bathroom.

In a thoughtful touch, Grimmer acknowledges the show’s potentially triggering themes, directing audience members towards support organisations such as The Butterfly Foundation. This thought-provoking and playfully disarming performance will follow you home.

Deliciously daring, Initial Consult- Taking diet culture to therapy (2026 MICF) is the kind of performance that makes you laugh, wince, and reflect—sometimes all in the same breath. Side effects may include sore cheeks from smiling and the sudden urge to book a therapy session… or a tap class.

Love Aunty Kylie xo

To book tickets to Initial Consult: Taking diet culture to therapy, please visit https://www.themcshowroom.com/whatson/melbourne-international-comedy-festival-2026-initial-consult.

Photographer: Joel Devereux

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Daddy Daycare

11/04/2026 Caitren Sheather-Reid🥉🦉

Daddy Daycare Rating

★★★★★

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Imagine: you walk into the Motley Bauhaus Theatrette (a place well renowned for its indie theatre) to the tune of the Playschool theme song, as well as other childhood classics like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. In front of you sits a cosy children’s set complete with plastic kids teapot and painted field back drops. That’s right, it’s Daddy Daycare time, a place where lost daddies go to get their working with womens check whilst discussing consent, anatomy and having fun all at the same time!

After sitting down, what followed was an hour of the most raucous children’s entertainment I have ever seen! Not only was our host (Steph Crothers) beyond hilarious, energetic and devilishly suggestive, but she also really, ah, took care of us, if you catch my drift.

Now heads up, this is a show that features a lot of audience participation. But if you are happy to moan, yell ‘YES MUMMY’ and sing songs about the more delicate parts of a woman’s physique, then you are in the right place. And as part of the audience, it was hard not to get swept up in the energy of it all. Crothers perfectly breached the line between suggestion and play, bringing forward act after act that had myself and the viewers around me gasping for breath in between laughter. Her skills with clowning and comedic timing left even me (one trained in such skills) a little bit speechless!

The tech of the show also strongly enhanced the whole experience. When things were light and playful, so was the sound. When things got darker, so did the lights. And the prerecorded sounds used in the show perfectly complemented what was happening on stage. It was a master class in not too complex tech and how it can truly bring a show together. Thematically, this show also explores that intersection between child and adult, taking me back to a nostalgic period with an adult twist. And boy, would I visit there again!

In total, this is a show that is great fun, but it has more substance than just this. It does bring up real questions of the consent culture within our society. And it did make me think afterwards, but I also just had a really excellent time with it. And my stomach and mouth hurt from smiling and laughing which is never a bad thing.

But look at that, it’s time on the rocket clock for this review to end! As a general rule, do go see this show, bring your friends (especially those of the sheltered persuasion just to watch their little minds be blown) and get up on stage! This is a show that deserves a whole lot of love.

To book tickets to Daddy Daycare, please visit https://www.eventfinda.com.au/2026/daddy-daycare/melbourne/carlton.

Photographer: Nick Robertson

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If You’re Hearing This

11/04/202610/04/2026 Melinda Keyte🆕

If You’re Hearing This Rating

★★★★★

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Ally Morgan is a new kind of supernova performer. In her 2026, Melbourne Comedy Festival show, If You’re Hearing This, she swoops us up and takes us on a whirlwind tour for the ages.

Morgan starts her show with a burst of optimism and the idea that things out there can be really, really good, even when they are clearly not that good at all on home soil. She’s fashion forward in a suit that is halfway between a NASA 1950’s one and something that the babes from Wet Leg might wear, showing her preparedness to get down and rock her world with some serious songwriting and lyrical talent. Morgan’s departure from earth is on a fast paced countdown. She’s on a do it yourself mission to save herself from Armageddon. Planet Earth is in a right pickle so the logical thing to do is eject herself into the atmosphere and take a chance — interplanetary Survivor style.

There, in the outer limits of space Morgan finds she has a lot of time on her hands so what better way to keep her sanity and her cool zeitgeist narrative alive than by doing an up to the minute broadcast over the space airwaves — even if no one’s listening. Her set is simple but effective. She knows how to transform a space. Musical instruments, a keyboard, a DIY screen, a squishy gold helmet and she’s away.

The brilliant songs allow Morgan to address all sorts of crisis points and her talent and skill in nailing where we all are right now lies in leaving no stone unturned. She pans manosphere podcasters, references the lost innocence of the early 2000’s, and employs visual gags from major film makers to billionaire asshats, as well as giving us a running commentary on news and politics. Morgan sings folk tinged songs that Joan Baez would be proud of. Her songs are at once poignant, hilarious, urgent and ironic. Her transitions from mother earth guardian, to digital information purveyor includes themes on life and death; the point of relationships and human connection; the vagaries of big C, Capitalism; tales from her youth and neurodivergent ways of being.

She calls out the force with which man tries to destroy everything good and calls out her own ambivalence when called to action as well. If anything the themes are so wide reaching and profound that maybe a slight edit would serve the overall project? But Morgan sings, moves and delivers ballads as sweet as The Sundays juxtaposed with political fight-the-power style black and white documentary narration that nevertheless ignites us all. She asks us to think deeper about how we got to a time when a girl who just wanted to have fun lost all that in the Black Mirror-esque way we live our lives now.

Morgan shows us that even though innocence has been washed away by a zillion screen time hours and the “encyclopaedia” of ChatGPT use, that in fact, love is still what humans want. It’s a very savvy well written show filled with modern day ennui. But is anybody really listening? Is Morgan just screaming into the void? Will she ever be saved? Her teabags and fuel are running low and she’s scared and utterly alone…well, for a while at least.

To book tickets to If You’re Hearing This, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/if-you-re-hearing-this/.

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