You’ll be tickled pink to know that we’ve pulled out two of the funniest Retro Aussie Comedy Classics for some side-splitting fun at Dendy Powerhouse as part of the Brisbane Comedy Festival.

Experience the hilarity and charm of MURIEL’S WEDDING – 30TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING on Saturday May 11 or KENNY on Saturday May 25.

In MURIEL’S WEDDING, Toni Collette stars as one of Australia’s most loved characters, Muriel (That’s Terrible Muriel!!) in the film that catapulted her to international stardom 30 years ago.

Muriel’s Wedding was a defining moment for modern Aussie cinema – where dags rule, ABBA charts forever, bitchy friends get what they deserve, success is the best revenge, Diedre Chambers pops up everywhere… What a coincidence and being Terrible Muriel, is the only way to go.

If you prefer a bit of good old Aussie ‘toilet humour’ than you won’t want to miss KENNY starring Shane Jacobson, the hilarious and iconic mockumentary which created an overnight Aussie legend and made the profession of Portaloo worker respectable.

The film follows Kenny (Jacobsen), the “Dalai Lama of Waste Management” as he navigates life as a modern Aussie battler – eternally optimistic and always willing to put others in front of himself. Witness his numerous personal and professional misadventures – including an oddly glamourous excursion to the Plumber and Cleaner Expo in Nashville.

Each guest attending Kenny will also receive a complimentary Toilet Spray from MASK CO.

Gates open one hour before the published session time. Film Commences at 7.30pm.
www.powerhouse.dendy.com.au

Tickets are on sale now for more than 350 gigs by over 110 comedians, including an influx of major international acts alongside returning fan favourites, with more shows announced today.

Visiting headliners include international comedy master Danny Bhoy, Northern Ireland comedy colossus Micky Bartlett, Malaysian mischief-maker Jason Leong, Irish actor and comedian Ed Byrne, Glasgow’s funniest millennial Larry Dean, dishevelled prince of the keyboard David O’Doherty, award-winning English stand-up Alfie Brown, British TV personality and podcaster Ed Gamble, BBC regular Sara Pascoe, Kiwi social media maven and comic Chris Parker and the ‘Maracas from Caracas’ – Venezuelan-born Ivan Aristeguieta.

National comedy icons and fan favourites include, three-man guitar-based singing jokester group, Tripod, lockdown saviour and content creator Nat’s What I Reckon, supreme master of stream of consciousness comedy Ross Noble, physical comedy phenomenon The Umbilical Brothers, stand-up legend Akmal, TV personalities Rhys Nicholson, Wil Anderson, Peter Helliar, Tommy Little and Rove McManus, Have You Been Paying Attention? regulars Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford, radio funny man Dave Hughes, former accountant Dilruk Jayasinha, and 2021 Melbourne International Comedy Festival winner Geraldine Hickey alongside Aussie import Jimeoin.

Complementing the stand-up smorgasbord is a number of theatre and music comedy experiences, including homegrown cult hit Two Man Tarantino, The Kaye Hole by genre-bending cabaret sensation Reuben Kaye, King of the Organ Barry Morgan, satirist Sammy J, the return of Shit-faced Shakespeare, improvised whodunnit Murder Village, and an evening with RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under favourite Karen From Finance.

Brisbane Comedy Festival Director Phoebe Meredith said that, despite pandemic disruptions the festival’s audience has grown 25 per cent since 2019 and welcomed more than 20,000 first-time attendees.

“It’s true that laughter is the best medicine and live comedy has proven to be the preferred antidote to recent woes,” Meredith said.

“No matter what tickles your funny bone, the Brisbane Comedy Festival team works incredibly hard to ensure that there is something on offer for everyone,” Cr Schrinner

Brisbane Comedy Festival
28 April – 28 May 2023
Brisbane Powerhouse, The Fortitude Music Hall and The Tivoli.
www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com/

A hilarious hitlist of more than 100 notorious international acts, repeat offenders and homegrown heroes will have audiences LOLing in the aisles at more than 350 shows across five weeks at Brisbane Powerhouse, The Fortitude Music Hall and The Tivoli.

Audiences can catch a stellar international comedy contingent on stage again, including Malaysia’s favourite doctor turned funny man, Jason Leong, Irish comedy crooner David
O’Doherty and brand-new stuff from stand-up and podcast host Gareth Reynolds.

Also back to grace Brisbane Comedy Festival with their laugh-out-loud presence are big Aussie names such as Wil Anderson, touring two shows including WILOGICAL, his first new stand-up show in three years; TV and radio funnyman Dave Hughes; Australia’s favourite comedic import Ross Noble; and Harley Breen, host of Network 10’s Taboo and Making It.

Brisbane Comedy Festival Director Phoebe Meredith is excited to welcome an array of the world’s funniest folks back to Brisbane alongside the Festival’s largest-ever local lineup.

“After a two-year COVID-induced hiatus, we are thrilled to kick-off the comedy comeback with top international acts at Brisbane Comedy Festival, taking to the stage with popular household names and emerging comedic talent,” Ms Meredith said.

“Brisbane audiences are always up for a laugh and this year’s stacked program of everything from stand-up to improv to sketch comedy is guaranteed to bring the LOLs as well as introduce plenty of firsts: Festival first-timers, our first-ever musical and a First Nationsfocused week.”

The Brisbane Comedy Festival Opening Gala gets the giggles going on 29 April with a freshly picked assortment of Australia’s best comedians at The Fortitude Music Hall, hosted by Nick Cody.

After a sell-out Sydney season, Schapelle, Schapelle – The Musical makes its Brisbane Comedy Festival debut at Brisbane Powerhouse from 24 May – 5 June, relaying a fast-paced take on Australia’s weakness for media sensationalism as seen through the life and times of Schapelle Corby.

Also new this year is a focus on First Nations comedians, highlighting well-known and upcoming Indigenous comics, including Steven Choolburra, Kevin Kropinyeri, Andy Saunders and Steph Tisdell, performing as the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars at Brisbane Powerhouse on 8 May as well a slew of solo and ensemble shows.

Rounding out the Brisbane Comedy Festival 2022 program are the Multicultural Comedy Gala on 28 May, a star-studded and diverse lineup of Australia’s top stand-up comedians, and Queerstories on 29 May.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane was well overdue for comedic relief and the festival would bring an entire month of it to pubs, clubs and venues.

“Brisbane Comedy Festival has become one of our city’s most highly-regarded and anticipated events,” Cr Schrinner said.

“By attending we can support artists who have done it tough during the pandemic while generating positive economic benefits for our local creative and hospitality industries.

“Following a disruptive past two years, I know the festival’s homegrown and international comedians will be armed with plenty of new material for residents and visitors come May.”

Brisbane Comedy Festival 2022 is on Friday 29 April to Sunday 29 May at Brisbane Powerhouse, The Fortitude Music Hall and The Tivoli.

Brisbane Comedy Festival is presented by Brisbane Powerhouse and proudly supported by festival partners Cancer Council Queensland, B105, Bambrick Media, Flip, goa, PixelFrame, scenestr, The Johnston and Triple M.

Brisbane Comedy Festival
29 April – 29 May 2022
Various locations around Brisbane
www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com/

Never before has Medusa been looser, Achilles more sillies, or Uranus so heinous.

Having single handedly saved the performing arts in 2018 with his multi-award-winning debut show, comic wunderkind

Garry Starr returns with another anarchic masterclass not to be mythed.

Damien Warren-Smith grew up in the sleepy snowy mountains town of Cooma before studying at Actors Centre Australia.

Upon graduation he moved to London where he spent more than a decade working as a theatre actor as well as TV appearances in Love My Way (FOXTEL), Law & Order: UK (TV) & The Persuasionists (BBC). In 2013 he retrained as a clown at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris before creating internationally-renowned clown collective The Plague of iDiots. When the pandemic struck Damien was playing a lead role in the Atomic Saloon Show at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

WINNER BEST COMEDY – Adelaide Fringe Weekly Award 2022
WINNER EMERGING ARTIST – Adelaide Fringe Weekly Award 2018
NOMINEE BEST COMEDY – Brighton Fringe 2018
NOMINEE BEST NEWCOMER – Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2018

“Damien Warren-Smith’s alter ego delivers a drama masterclass, leading us from clownish chaos to feats of comic genius”
★★★★★ The Guardian (UK)

An uproariously funny hour….Undoubtedly one of the most fun shows at this year’s festival
★★★★ The Scotsman

An anarchic play-date with a six-foot-two toddler with a mop of fuzzy hair, no inhibitions and far too much raspberry cordial on board. It’s an exhilarating feeling.
★★★★★ GLAM Adelaide

Garry Starr: Greece Lightning
Brisbane Comedy Festival
Brisbane Powerhouse
10-16 May 2022
www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com

The Brisbane Comedy Festival returns with a star-studded line-up hitting the river city for three huge weeks of laughs and live gigs from 16 July to 8 August 2021.

Warm-up your winter with a packed program of sizzling highlights featuring homegrown heroes repeat offenders and fan favourites playing three big Brisbane venues: Brisbane Powerhouse, The Tivoli, and The Fortitude Music Hall.

In time-honoured fashion, the Brisbane Comedy Festival Opening Gala kicks off the 24-day event on 16 July with a spectacular line-up of comedians at The Fortitude Music Hall, hosted by Tommy Little.

Playing Brisbane Powerhouse is straight-talking YouTube star and lockdown legend Nat’s What I Reckon, performing his new show On Purpose from 17-18 July.

Australia’s beloved comedic import, Ross Noble, launches his post-COVID 2021 Comeback Special and brings his spontaneous stand-up and flights of fantasy to Brisbane Powerhouse from 27 July to 8 August.

Also emerging from lockdown with fresh material is Effie (Mary Coustas) whose trademark honest wit punctuates her new show, Better Out Than In from 17-18 July.

Brisbane Powerhouse trains the spotlight on a diverse schedule of acts including Christian Hull in his solo stand-up debut, seasoned entertainer Paul McDermott,
Mel Buttle, Kevin Kropinyeri, Jimeon, Cal Wilson, Aboriginal Allstars, Nikki Osbourne, and Tom Ballard.

Brisbane comedy couple Stav and Kat Davidson present an encore season of He Said, She Said on 7-8 August with all-new fresh and funny life-in-lockdown material.

The Tivoli sets the table for the Brisbane Comedy Festival Sunday Roast on July 25 then serves up a feast of guest acts including Fiona O’Loughlin, Peter Helliar, Anne Edmonds & Lloyd Langford, Rosie Waterland, Dave Thornton, and Geraldine Hickey.

Karen from Finance (RuPaul’s Drag Race) is heading Out of Office and bringing her high-camp one-woman show to Brisbane from 29-31 July.

International sensations The Naked Magicians leave Las Vegas and return to play the Festival that kickstarted their careers in their Home-Coming Tour at The Tivoli from 5-7 August.

The average ticket price for the 2021 Brisbane Comedy Festival is just $35 and all performances are already on sale.

Check out the full program and buy tickets at brisbanecomedyfestival.com.

The festival runs from 16 July to 8 August 2021.

After 30 years in the business, Agro and “the bald man under the table”, Jamie Dunn are back together and live on stage! Hosted by Ben From Brisbane, get ready to stroll down memory lane and hear the naughtiest and funniest Aussie showbiz stories behind an accidental puppet that became an Aussie icon.

VIP tickets available which include photo, meet & greet and Agro Ekka Showbag.

Agro Up Late! with Jamie Dunn
17 – 22 March 2020
Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
htwww.brisbanecomedyfestival.com

This is every contiki tour that has ever gone wrong. This is Jumanji meets Absolutely Fabulous. No map, no shame, a little bit of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Bring spare knickers, it’s going to be a very cool party.

TOP COMEDY PICK Ed Fringe 2019 (The Sunday Times, Scottish Daily Mail and METRO)
WINNER Directors’ Choice Award Melbourne Comedy Festival 2018

Double Denim Adventure Show
6 – 8 March 2020
Turbine Studio, Brisbane Powerhouse
www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com

Fast becoming an institution round the country, Queerstories sells out shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and regional areas, bringing storytellers from all walks of life to the stage.

Funny, moving, surprising and engaging, the stories from Queerstories are also available on the podcast, and as a collection of short stories published by Hachette Australia in 2018 and launched at the Sydney Opera House.

Queerstories
9 March 2019
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com

Since unleashing alter-ego Jan van de Stool at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival in 2004, Queenie’s Dutch-born “musical therapist” has become one of the greatest cult comedy acts in Australia, touring festivals nationally and reaching the semi-finals on television juggernaut Australia’s Got Talent.

Next month, Australia’s favourite self-help guru (self-appointed) will conjure the laughs in a one-woman exposé: Jan van de Stool in PARTING THE RED CURTAINS.

“I’m inviting all of Brisbane to come inside my fabulous celebrity world and journey back to my Netherlands to see where this legend began,” van de Stool said.

In PARTING THE RED CURTAINS, audiences can expect the van de Stool they all know – the “musical masseuse, singing psychologist and qualified interpretive dancer” – but she will also astonish Brisbane by unveiling an entirely new skillset.

Van de Stool explains, “I’m not one to rest on my wattles in the business of show, so I’ve added another pussy to my bow. I’m now a psychic medium. In fact, in psychic circles I’m what’s called a ‘medium rare’ – I’m that good.”

Or so she says. Things go horribly wrong when she mistakenly channels her own disgruntled (and dead) ex-student and the real story of her life unfolds.

Audiences can watch Jan’s life unravel during Brisbane Comedy Festival at two locations: SunPac on Thursday 21 March and Brisbane City Hall from Friday 22 – Sunday 24 March.

Jan van de Stool in PARTING THE RED CURTAINS
SunPac – Thursday 21 March
Brisbane City Hall – Friday 22 to Sunday 24 March
For information and tickets, visit www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com

That’s probably because the Scared Weird Little Guys, those insanely talented dudes who made the whole country LOL, haven’t performed in Brisbane for nearly 10 years! Well, Merry Christmas punters because that’s all about to change! Clear the diary for March, because, they are back!

The Scared Weird Little Guys , or ‘The Scaredies’ (as they are affectionately known) were a part of Australian culture for over 20 years, performing thousands of gigs all over the country as well as tours of the US & UK. They have appeared on almost every live Australian TV Show you can think of including Hey Hey Its Saturday, The Micallef Programme, Rove Live and even Sale of the Century (appearing in the gift shop – a career highlight!).

The boys – John Fleming (vocals, guitar, mandolin) and Rusty Berther (vocals, guitar, banjo) – performed their last show in Brisbane in 2011 but in March 2019 they are BACK for a special REUNION EVENT at the Brisbane Comedy Festival.

Presented by Christopher Wayne Entertainment (The Naked Magicians, Two Man Tarantino), the Scared Weird Reunion Show will feature a selection of their Greatest Hits (for which they won a ‘Best Comedy Album’ ARIA award in 2004), including such classics as ‘Deadly Animals (Come to Australia)’, ‘Queensland’, ‘Underwear Song’ & ‘Sex and Drugs and Leg Spin Bowl’ as well as a fistful of new stunts, jokes and songs, which sound a bit like the old stuff… only funnier.

Christopher Wayne says, “Growing up, I recall sitting with my family watching these guys on TV. I still remember the first time I saw them perform on Hey Hey It’s Saturday! The Scared Weird Little Guys are Australian comedy legends and this show is going to be great for their old fans and introduce a whole new generation to their comedic genius!”

As for the Scaredies themselves, Rusty is pumped to be bringing their show back to the Brisbane Powerhouse, “Brisbane was always my favourite city… in Queensland… apart from Toowoomba.”

The Scared Weird Reunion Show is on March 7 at SunPAC, Sunnybank and then at the Brisbane Powerhouse from March 8 to 10. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for fans and the uninitiated, alike!

Scared Weird Little Guys: Scared Weird Reunion Show
7 March- SunPAC, Sunnybank
8-10 March – Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
www.brisbanecomedyfestival.com