Comedy Festival’s Neighbourhood Sessions kicks off next week

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is heading out of the CBD and into the suburbs, so comedy fans won’t need to travel much further than their own backyard to get giggling this year.

The first all-star show takes place at the Thornbury Theatre on Friday 18 March, and includes the hilarious Takashi Wakasugi (JPN), songwriter and star of The Chaser’s War on Everything, Andrew Hansen, 2021 RAW Comedy National Champion and 2022 Comedy Zoner Prue Blake, and 2021’s Best Newcomer Nominee Anna Piper Scott Everyone’s favourite Venezuelan, Ivan Aristeguieta will host the night.

Following Thornbury, the Festival will venture to Bunjil Place in Narre Warren on Saturday 19 March with another banging line-up. The show will be hosted by two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Carl Donnelly (UK), and feature Kirsty Webeck, Takashi Wakasugi, Emma Holland as seen on Have You Been Paying Attention? and rising star Dahn Rozario.

With laugh out loud shows lined up over four big weekends, the Comedy Fest’s Neighbourhood Sessions will kick off on 18 March and run through to 8 April. The program will showcase some of the funniest names of the Festival, stellar hosts, and shine a light on local newcomers across Melbourne’s favourite venues.

Hosts and line-ups for Werribee, Footscray, Moorabbin, Preston and Broadmeadows will be announced soon.