Breaking the Musical review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Just days before its scheduled premiere in December last year, Raygun: The Musical was forced to cancel its run due to an intellectual property lawsuit. But not even something like a legal hurdle can keep a good performer down. Undeterred, writer Steph Broadbridge and her team reworked the story - about an Australian from Hornsby who ends up representing the country in breakdancing at the 2024 Paris Olympics - into a fully legal parody retelling suitably titled Breaking the Musical.

This revamped version is a wildly entertaining spectacle, packed with humour, catchy songs, and political commentary on the events leading up to the Olympics and their aftermath. We follow Broadbridge as Spraygun (because, of course, this is completely legal!) on her breakdancing journey of self-discovery and unexpected fame.

Garage Sale review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

There was a time when garage sales were the pinnacle of suburban culture; a chance to rummage through a stranger’s junk and haggle over their long-forgotten treasures. Not much has changed. In Garage Sale, we meet Denise and her husband Greg as they are forced to downsize into retirement accommodation and put their past up for sale. But this past is a lot darker and shadier than you would be led to believe.

Alanah Parkin has stocked this garage sale with a delightful assortment of relics: old clothes, a stack of VHS tapes, and a box of doilies, to name a few. But the real magic lies in the characters she brings to life - some quite literally. Beneath the breezy backyard gossip and borrowed cups of sugar in Narre Warren South, there is also something peculiar happening. Why haven’t Denise and Greg spoken to their daughters in 17 years, and what’s with Greg’s unsettling obsession with Christina Aguilera? Parkin expertly weaves tension into the comedy with a playful, offbeat charm.

Pensive Like A Fox review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

What does it mean to be Pensive Like a Fox? If you’re expecting deep contemplation with a smidgen of cunning, you’re not far off. Mike McLeish’s cabaret is a warm, meandering collection of thoughts, stories, and songs, some sharp, some sweet, and all unmistakably his.

McLeish radiates pride and love for his wife and two daughters - his eldest, Finn, directing him in this production - and that affection is a huge part of his charm. He’s nice. He’s affable. And he’s so damn likeable that you’d happily buy whatever he’s selling, even a neckerchief. But beyond that, he’s a keen observer of the human experience, unpicking the quirks of life with an easygoing wit that makes his insights feel universal.

Cvnt review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

How does one even begin to review a show like Cvnt? Sophie Power doesn’t just perform, she saunters onto the stage in a whirlwind of clowning, comedy, and unapologetic exploration of the word that makes many people squirm. This is an hour of raw, unfiltered energy, where cvnt is not just a word but a playground, a statement, and a challenge. Power revels in its many meanings, contradictions, and taboos, dragging the audience along for a ride that is as ridiculous as it is revealing.

You can't talk about Cvnt without mentioning the spectacular costume. Power emerges from a small black booth, draped in a dazzling explosion of pink and red, transforming herself into a human-sized vulva. Its cavernous depths invite exploration, complete with moans, groans, and the eager hands of audience members keen to get up close and personal.

Rising Damp review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Nicolette Minster has worked her butt off to get to her 40s. And having recently turned 41, rather than feel like some sneaky mould is creeping into her life, she decides to mark the milestone by swimming 41km in 41 days. Rising Damp is a solid hour of stand up that celebrates ageing and how there are always ways to surprise yourself, even if it means getting knocked over by the occasional waves.

Water isn’t simply a motif in Minster's swimming challenge, but it runs through every part of the show. It’s in the writing, the visuals, and the sound design, shaping the reflective mood that is set and creating a noticeable sense of cohesion in the production. Minster wears a cartoon shark T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Stay Positive,” and her stage features three oversized and brightly coloured pieces of seaweed that serve as a representation to her outlook to life. Water sounds, such as rainfall, and ocean waves, are layered into the performance, adding an extra immersive element.

(The) Joshua Ladgrove (Show) review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

I've been attending Joshua Ladgrove's shows for over ten years. Time really flies. His sense of humour, his characters, and his ability to connect and engage with an audience have been incredible to watch. In his new show, (The) Joshua Ladgrove (Show), Joshua must more or less save Christmas after a horrifying accident occurs at Carols by Candlelight.

With radio personality and baritone singer Denis Walter is incapacitated in hospital, Joshua is asked to step in to host his TV variety show on Christmas Eve. The opening is quite impressive, with Ladgrove seamlessly inserting himself into Carols by Candlelight via the magic of VFX. It’s an exciting start and a promising glimpse of what’s to come, or so I thought.

Teen School High: A Highschool Teen Story (21+) review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Everyone remembers their first day of high school or starting at a new school. There’s always that sense of possibility - that this will be the year everything changes, the chance to go from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. But not everyone is that fortunate.

In Teen School High: A Highschool Teen Story (21+), Jake Glanc plays Jake, a father whose child is about to start high school. To calm his anxieties, we flash back to Jake as a 16-year-old and his own first day at a new school, and the emotions that come with it. Even if he is effeminate and slightly chunky, he’s determined not to be the butt of every joke this time round.