Canberra Comedy Festival laughs its way to town

Posted on 29 January, 2015

It’s like RSVP for funny dates, or Tinder if you just want to laugh at the really naughty stuff but whichever way you swing, the Canberra Comedy Festival will set you up for your perfect night out of laughter.

Back for another year of madness, laughters and belly aching laughs, the event has cemented itself as a permanent fixture on the annual events calendar, and will return on 17 March armed with 60 shows and the world’s best comedians. It’s the biggest festival yet!

Guaranteed to be the biggest festival yet and now in its third year, the Festival will kick off with the annual (already sold-out) star-studded Opening Night Gala—a showcase event featuring an explosive line-up of the very best acts from the festival line-up including local, national and international comedy superstars.

Who can resist the good looks…ahem, we mean cracker jokes…of Peter Helliar?

Big names like Jason Byrne from the United Kingdom, The Umbilical Brothers, Akmal, Urzila Calrson (RSA/NZ), John Safran, Bane Triology (UK), Peter Helliar, Cal Wilson, Wil Sylvince (US), Sarah Kendall (UK), Dave Thornton, Tommy Little, Ronny Chieng, Sammy J & Randy, Sparrow Folk and a whole lot more will take to the stage to deliver six days of nonstop laughter.

While there’ll be plenty of naughty jokes, tongue in cheek one-liners and innuendos a plenty, the festival isn’t necessarily off limits to the family.

If you have kids (big or small) then book in a night with Matty Grey and his show Age-less 2: Game On. A hit with the little people at last year’s festival, Matty has been roped in again for 2015 to avoid the festival being marched on by nine year olds. Whether it’s the latest in 3D-4G-hi def-surround sound-wifi-Wii-Fit-online interactivity or…well, you know…games where you actually interact, Matty Grey will examine them all and try to work out why the cheat codes aren’t working! He’ll entertain and delight with his rapid-fire comedy and non-stop energy. A performer who’s unlocked the hyperactive play mode and never quite turned it off, you’ll have no regrets buying tickets to his show.

The kids show format follows into the evening, only it gets a little ruder. The Umbilical Brothers KiDSHow (Not Suitable for Children) is for adults with an inner child that enjoys all the stuff that censors warn you about: violence, sexual references, drug taking and frequent coarse language. “Everything Prime Possum would love to do but can’t,”…well, at least according to the festival organisers.

Cal Wilson will join both local, national and international acts for the first time at this year’s Comedy Festival.

Local duo, Sparrow Folk will flit into this year’s festival bringing with them their show SuBIRDia. Juliet Moody and Catherine Crowley are bringing sexy back to suburban Australia with their musical-comedy smash-hit. Thermomix-ing together hysterical songs, the deceivingly sweet pair are jaw-droppingly naughty—it’s Kath & Kim on citric-acid and you won’t want to miss this “one pair of birds who will warm your heart and gently make you think”.

A noobie to the Canberra Comedy Festival scene is favourite Cal Wilson who has built up an impressive profile both in Australia and overseas. She’s held her own alongside Stephen Fry on QI and was way too funny in Spicks and Specks, Thank God You’re Here and Slideshow too earning her a well-deserved place in this year’s program. Her show Undercurrents offers a brand new hour of stand-up that promises to remind you why she is one of Australia’s most popular comedians.

While the festival will run in venues across Canberra including its major venue partner Canberra Theatre Centre and co-presented with Enlighten, this year it will be ramping the comedic vibe with some exciting things outside its host venues…but to find out more you’ll have to head along to a show or two.

The Late Night Festival Club will also return in 2015 where comics let their hair down and late night bands turn wild and loose…You never know what will happen.

The essentials

What: Canberra Comedy Festival 2015
When: Tuesday 17 to Sunday 22 March
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, ANU Arts Centre, The Civic Pub and Novotel Canberra
How much: Various ticket prices
Tickets: Purchase your tickets online
Web: www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Giveaway: win tickets to see Cal Wilson

To give her a warm Canberra welcome, we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a double pass to see Cal Wilson when she arrives in the nation’s capital on Friday 20 March. To enter simply tell us which English comedian Cal Wilson has starred alongside on QI? Email your answer and contact details to hello@hercanberra.com.au before midnight Friday 6 February. The winner will be notified via email on Monday 9 February.