Melbourne has been blessed with 40 years of laughs through Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and ‘The Big FOUR-OH!’, featuring a massive line-up of funny folks from past, present and future, was an epic night for lovers of all kinds of comedy.
Audiences filed into the Regent Theatre, and before long, the laughs were coming thick and fast. The fantastic duo that is Nath Valvo and Geraldine Hickey led the charge as hosts, making hilariously camp entrances and bringing some effortless and genuine banter and chemistry to proceedings.
Plus, we were even treated to a short video package with highlights of the last 40 years of the Comedy Festival, really driving the festival’s joy home and reminding everyone of the positive impact that comedy can have on society, particularly in times of hardship.
What followed this was a fast-paced, non-stop laugh fest of a night, which felt totally appropriate for a celebration like this one.
Janty Blair told us all about her new mirror companion, Danielle Walker zoomed into a family photo to reveal some hilarious details, Lano & Woodley reminded us why their physical comedy is second-to-none, and Hannah Gadsby recalled a totally bizarre and ridiculous acting workshop over in America.
Effie (Mary Coustas) brought us up to date on her stance on political correctness and Tommy Little provided commentary on the recent machete ban (they weren’t banned before?!). . . While Dave O’Neil and Glenn Robbins had a bit of fun with some audience interaction, and Tom Gleeson split sides with a story about an air-con remote icon misunderstanding. Plus, adding a bit of music to the mix, Michelle Brasier went into detail about the untold ‘Fast & Furious’ love story between Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and ‘Vincent’ Diesel.
All in all, ‘The Big FOUR-OH!’ was a smorgasbord of all kinds of comedy from all different eras. It was an apt celebration for an impressive milestone.
Here’s to the next 40!
