MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL’S popular Roadshow is heading for the New England North West region to deliver a cracking good night of stand-up laughs from the experts.
The NENW leg of the tour will be emceed by teacher-turned-comedian and actor Ben Knight, who starred in ABC TV’s football-themed series The Warriors. Joining Ben will be comedians Alex Ward, Nikki Britton, Sam Taunton and Japan’s comedy export Takashi Wakasugi, whose act at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival was the insightful and uproarious Farm Backpacker (Subclass 417).
Described by Chortle (UK) as a comedian who can reduce her audience to constant waves of laughter, Nikki Britton is known for her appearances on Hughesy, We Have A Problem. She was a nominee for Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Most Outstanding Show Award 2021 and winner of Best Comedy Weekly Award at the 2020 Adelaide Fringe.
Sam Taunton is ‘roving idiot’ on Channel 10’s The Project with the trademark captivating storytelling and quick-fire punchlines that took him all the way to a sellout show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
A Queenslander now living in Melbourne, Alex Ward said: “2020 was a year for reflecting… mostly my own face in the laptop screen in bed”.
“I reflected on society, my dreams and how hard Zoom tried to ruin live comedy forever. Turns out they couldn’t touch us because we’re back. Can you believe it? Me, in the flesh, as you live and breathe!
“Despite the lockdown, I managed to achieve some great things in 2020. I wrote and co-starred alongside my dogs (my dogs were the leads) in a sketch for ABC’s At Home Alone Together series.
“I also baked not one, but two incredible cheesecakes. You could say it was a baking-pan-demic (that is an example of the kind of jokes you won’t be seeing at my show. It was a test, if you enjoyed that please re-think what you want to get from your life),” she said.
Don’t miss the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow at a venue near you:
TAS Hoskins Armidale: Tuesday June 15 (02) 6776 5800
Glen Innes Chapel Theatre: Wednesday June 16 (02) 6732 1997
Gunnedah Civic Theatre: Thursday June 17 (02) 6740 2100
Tenterfield School of Arts: Tuesday June 29 (02) 6736 6100
Inverell RSM Club (Inverell Cultural Group): Wednesday June 30 0428 753 244
Capitol Theatre Tamworth: Thursday July 1 (02) 6766 2028
Royal Theatre Quirindi: Friday July 2 (02) 6746 1755
Crossing Theatre Narrabri: Saturday July 3 (02) 6799 6740
Audience 18+