This year’s Adelaide Fringe promises to be one of the best yet. The 2012 program features a record-breaking 4,000 artists in 923 events, including 250 comedy acts, 130 theatre shows, 170 concerts, 100 cabaret shows and 110 art and design exhibitions. Additional categories include circus, dance, special events, film and puppetry.

And who might the 250 comedy acts be? You can find a parade of posters at Adelaide Comedy’s website which shows a lot of them, but forgive me if I haven’t actually made a list of the lot for you.

Many of the internationals will, of course, be also going on to other comedy festivals in Melbourne, Sydney. Perth and Brisbane before they fly back home, so most of the nation can look forward to seeing them sometime this year.

It’s going to take a while to build the network, but now that the comedy circuit is only just coming out of the holiday hiatus, it’s a good time to get started on a brand new web PR scheme (especially if you’ve got a festival show for 2012 that you want to promote), so why not get your show its very own site on Comedy Tragics Network?

• Eddie Izzard – Stripped November 2011
  Classic standup with Izzard simply owning the stage with a savage suavity. A few people, presumably religious, walked out. To describe too much would be too many spoilers, but: the encore homage to his famous Death Star Canteen routine was exceptionally cleverly done.
• Spicks and Speck-tacular The Finale Tour – November 2011
  This was possibly the daggiest show I’ve seen since my high school talent contests. Great fun for those who love, love, love Adam, Myf and Alan working together. A slight overdose in the lycra department. My kids didn’t care.

  My main sadness with the departure of Spicks and Specks from our telly screens is this: why did it have to end just because Adam/Myf/Alan had had enough? In the US and UK, similar shows go on for years and years with intermittent changes of hosting talent – they do their job of promoting live local talent and/or upcoming experimental comedy telly shows: they’d just keep on keeping on. Why didn’t Adam/Myf/Alan just hand over, in toto or serially, to other folks willing to do the same job?

  This is not to say that I don’t like Adam Hills IGST – it’s fine. But I don’t see why we couldn’t have had that and still had a music/comedy panel show called Spicks and Specks (with at least one different host) as well.

• Tim Minchin vs the Orchestra – February 2012
  Minchin goes from strength to strength.  There is nothing quite like sharing an auditorium with a full orchestra, and everybody on stage plays this up to the fullest effect. Minchin knows how to play his audience, and the audience loves being played. It’s not everybody’s traditionalist cup of tea, and quite deliberately so, but those who’ve done their online home study are keen to receive exactly what they expect. I loved it.

Comedians: Jenny Campbell (host), Alice Fraser, Christina Van Look, Zoe Pelbart, Jo Ranck, Brenna Glazebrook and Ana Key.

Magicians: Anthony Dillon, Adrian Dean, Adrian Saw.

LAUGH as some of Sydney’s finest emerging women comics take you into the pink-rimmed underbelly of their worlds……’

MARVEL at the magic you’ll see, the tricks you could end up being the guinea pig for and the pure cleverness of it all!

Tickets: $12 Adult, $10 concession.

Doors open 6.30 for art viewing and hanging around.
Show starts at 8pm finishing at 10pm.

Refreshments available.

Tix $20.00 from the venue

The Pit to Port Tour – by Tony Allen Gregson

Newcastle, Newie. An industrial town hiding two hours north of Sydney is currently experiencing a comedy revolution. With Newcastle Comedy selling out Lizottes theatre this year, and Newcastle’s own Brendan Knott coordinating the best run room outside the major capital cities at the Oriental Hotel- this eclectic bunch of misfits from Newcastle Comedy have put together a Comedy tour to showcase some of the region’s best talent. The Pit to Port Tour is the brainchild of relative newcomer Gareth Wasik to showcase some of the region’s best locally based talent. With four of the best up and comers on the burgeoning scene and two established comics in Brendon Knott and Jason Starrett, the comics will be following the “coal belt” from Muswellbrook to Newcastle bringing live comedy to crowds that normally have to travel a few hours to see something other than a cold chisel cover band.

The whole idea behind the tour is that I had been speaking to people I know, that have been working and staying in the region from out of the area, and they were saying the highlight of the time spent was the local cattle judging show. I also lived up that way when I was a little skinnier and possibly even taller, and the local guys I knew in Singleton, Maitland, Muswellbrook and Cessnock, all said it was a ripper of an idea. So it just built momentum. Kind of like a coal train out of control. We have had plenty of support from local industry up there, all the local sporting clubs are getting behind it, local press, even the venues are really excited to be holding something on a night which is usually reserved for ordering the no.35 from the Chinese bistro.

“We’re all really pumped, which is weird, because we’re all really laid back and we’ve put a lot of effort in getting up there, meeting the locals, the businesses to make sure it’s a good night.” The comics involved Matty B, Soame Chopra, Ryan Black, Gareth Wasik, Brendan Knott and Jason Starrett, are a good mix, bringing their own styling’s to the stage. Throw in a couple of guest spots by one of the best females on the local circuit, Ness and the Pit to Port tour is a well rounded show.

It’ll be really good to get up there to good crowds and an appreciative audience. Its also a good experience for us, to try out different venues outside of Sydney, and if things go well we will look at doing more regular events in regional NSW. That’s not meant to be a slight on the Sydney scene, there’s some wicked comics from newie, like Rhys Nicolson, killing it in Sydney at the moment. Sydney isn’t for everyone though, especially me, it has a real claustrophobic feel about it. I mean, I can be done from work, showered and with my family by 330 every day. No traffic, no trains. The easy life.

If its anything to go by, enthusiasm alone will make this event a success. Comedy in regional NSW is in safe hands. The entertainment industry often forgets audiences outside capital cities, so Newcastle Comedy has taken on the initiative of bringing the Pit to Port tour to smaller communities. The readers may be thinking at this point –“Yes, but are they funny?”  They are so working class up there that Jimmy Barnes changes the lyrics of the song working class man to working class boy. They are so laid back the local council made it compulsory to have 3 lounges in every office to two employees. An overseas trip for most is a 500 metre ferry ride to Stockton, this also doubles as a luxury cruise. Throw in, that Newcastle is probably the only city in the world with a headland named Nobbys and a nightclub named Fanny’s and that pretty much answers the question.

Theatresports® Cranston Cup Semi Finals
Sun 6, 13 and 20 November

The Factory Theatre, 114 Victoria St Marrickville
Adult $22 / concession $19 / groups 8+ $16
Bookings 9550 3666 or www.factorytheatre.com.au
For more information visit www.cranston.improaustralia.com.au

THE 2011 THEATRESPORTS® CRANSTON CUP SEMI-FINALIST TEAMS HAVE BEEN NAMED!

From a strong start of 20 teams, 10 are still galloping into the final straight…

Semi 1 – November 6th at the Factory Theatre, 7:30
The Bear Pack (Steen Raskopoulos & Carlo Ritchie)
The Bearded Clams (Steve Lynch & Grant Davies)
The Theatresprouts (Young’uns from Sydney Secondary College – Leichhardt)
The Fighting Trousers (Jim Fishwick, Damon Steff, Linette Voller and Jason Dunn)

Semi 2 – November 13 at the Factory Theatre, 7:30
dysleXia-Men (Jon Williams, Dave Callan & Bridie Connell)
Rock Steady Crew (Steve Kimmens, Erin Foy, Scott Hall-Watson & Lisa Ricketts)
Indie Cowboys (Jeremy Yao, Oliver Burton, Chad O’Neill & Matt McLaren)
Bigger on the Inside (Dave Bloustien & Brydie Lee-Kennedy)

The top team (as chosen by a panel of experts…not scores) from each night will qualify straight to the Grand Final at the Enmore Theatre on December 3 and the bottom team will be eliminated. The two remaining teams from each night will battle it out in a final repechage at the Factory Theatre on November 20.

But wait!!! Just like any good Masterchef season, we’re bringing back two wildcard teams to compete in the
SIX-TEAM Repechage on November 20 at the Factory Theatre, 7.30

The two wildcard teams are:
Monkey Magic (Chee-Hoe Tham, Geoff Bartlett, Adrian Sandy and Richard Lovegrove);   and
Working Class Heroes (Jessica Mallett, Emily Beale and Fiouna Della Ca)

This is all ahead of the 2011 THEATRESPORTS CRANSTON CUP GRAND FINAL at the Enmore Theatre on December 3.
Tickets are going like hotcakes as the competition winds up to the pointy end.

PICF Website

All tickets are on sale now through BOCS Ticketing.

The Comedy Suitcase Tour

Time: TBA
Date: 26th to 29th April 2012
Venue: Special event
Address: Albany, Bunbury, Mandurah

Join funny-men Tripod, Werzel, John Robertson and special guests as they pack up their suitcases, guitars, ukeleles and best gags to take them on a winding tour of the South West before heading back up to Perth for the main Festival. Packed full of laughs, chuckles and guffaws, this two and a half hour comedy smorgasbord will have regional audiences rolling in the aisles. Tickets for this event will be on sale at the end of October.

The Opening Night Gala

Time: 7:30PM
Date: 2nd May 2012
Venue: Astor Theatre
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Launch into 19 days of Perth International Comedy Festival hilarity with the event to start all events, the Opening Night Gala. Join the creme de la crème of local, interstate and international comedians at the fabulous Astor Theatre as they bring you a two and a half hour comedy spectacular. An exclusive peak into the best of the fest, the Opening Night Gala is an event not to miss. Check www.perthcomedyfest.com.au for line-up updates.

International Comedy Bowls

Time: 2:00PM
Date: 6th May 2012
Venue: Jack High Comedy Club
Address: Cnr Storthers & Rookwood Sts Mt Lawley

Barefoot Bowls with local, national and international, comedians is a fantastic way to spend your Sunday afternoon. Hosted by a comedian, this event gets audiences up close and personal with their comedic heroes. Whether as a spectator or participant, this unique event will be an experience to remember.

The Festival Finale

Time: 7:30PM
Date: 20th May 2012
Venue: Astor Theatre
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Round off a manic 19 days of laughs in the only way any comedy faithful should, with the Festival Finale! We’re sure everyone will be slightly silly by this stage, so secure your tickets for an unruly and out of control line-up including Fiona O’Loughlin, Joel Creasey and Greg Fleet, with many more still to be announced! Don’t miss out on the fun and your final chance to enjoy the Perth International Comedy Festival until it comes hurtling back in 2013. Check www.perthcomedyfest.com.au for updates.

Tripod – Men of Substance

Time: 9:30PM
Date: May 3rd – 5th, 2012
Venue: Astor Theatre
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Tripod have made themselves stars of radio (Triple J and every other major station), TV (Comedy Festival Gala, Skithouse, The Sideshow) and the stage by pretending to be stupid. All the time in glorious three-part harmony. In Men of Substance, Tripod finally decide to grow up and stop pretending to be stupid. Come to the show and find out whether or not if it was a smokescreen for actual stupidity all along.

Henry Rollins – The Long March

Time: 9:30PM
Date: 11th – 12th May, 2012
Venue: Astor Theatre
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Henry Rollins returns to Australia in 2012 for The Long March tour at the iconic Astor Theatre. For more than a quarter of a century, Rollins has toured the world as a spoken word artist, as frontman for both the Rollins Band and Black Flag and, without a microphone, as a solitary traveller with an insatiable curiosity, bypassing the resorts in favour of places like Siberia and Senegal or Burma and Bangladesh. His curiosity and hunger for experienced based knowledge, teamed with his willingness to travel, the no-holds-barred delivery of his opinions and observations, and wicked sense of humour make him one of the most inspiring and interesting entertainers of our generation.

Fiona O’Loughlin – On a Wing and Prayer

Time: 8:15PM
Date: 18th-19th May, 2012
Venue: Astor Theatre
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

With her popularity at an all time high, and a starring role on Dancing with the Stars, Fiona chucked herself off the wagon and onto the pages of the national media. Our Queen of Comedy’s very public battle with booze has taken her on a journey and, as always, it’s generated some wickedly honest tales. On a Wing and a Prayer reveals the poignant but hilarious journey Fiona took from rock bottom to redemption (well, almost redemption-¦). This show has grabbed critical acclaim around the world and sold-out in Melbourne, Adelaide and Edinburgh.

Superdub vs the Vampires

Time: 7pm and 8.30pm
Date: May 8th 2012
Venue: Astor Lounge
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Join Werzel and Robertson as they battle it out against vampires and aliens, re-voicing, re-dubbing and ridiculous, live and in the moment. Tuesday May 8th they go head to head with the evil bloodsuckers of the night in Superdub vs the Vampires. Then, a week later on Tuesday May 15th, be amazed as they take on all things extra-terrestrial in Superdub vs the Aliens. No sci-fi or fantasy character will be safe!

Superdub vs the Aliens

Time: 7pm and 8.30pm
Date: May 15th 2012
Venue: Astor Lounge
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Join Werzel and Robertson as they battle it out against vampires and aliens, re-voicing, re-dubbing and ridiculous, live and in the moment. Tuesday May 8th they go head to head with the evil bloodsuckers of the night in Superdub vs the Vampires. Then, a week later on Tuesday May 15th, be amazed as they take on all things extra-terrestrial in Superdub vs the Aliens. No sci-fi or fantasy character will be safe!

Tropical Parodies – A Cocktail of Comic Song

Time: 8:00PM
Date: May 9th – 12th, 2012
Venue: Astor Lounge
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Perth’s musical comedy hit-makers return with an all-new comic song-stravaganza! The team behind An Evening Wasted and Parodies Lost have mixed an irresistible cocktail: chart-toppers and show-tunes spliced with ingenious new lyrics, topped with lashings of satire and the cream of local talent. Anything topical could get a serve – because in this show, nothing is off limits. Their last outing, Parodies Lost, had packed houses eating out of its hands’ (The West Australian), and An Evening Wasted took out the Mike Award for Excellence at the 2011 WWCF Wa-Ha-Ha Awards. Get your tickets now for an unmissable night of musical comedy!

Joel Creasey – Naked

Time: 9:15PM
Date: 16th – 19th May, 2012
Venue: Astor Lounge
Address: 659 Beaufort street Mount Lawley

Joel is afraid of a lot. Be it snakes, heights or Tony Abbott… you’ll usually find Joel cowering behind the couch. But one thing Joel hates more than anything is nudity. Which is stupid. We’ve all got “one”. So come join Joel as he gets naked, conquers his fears and reveals all. After being nominated Best Newcomer at Melbourne Comedy Festival and following the sold-out status of his critically acclaimed Political Animal show, there is no doubt Joel is the hottest rising star of comedy – catch this confronting and hilarious new show!

Dave Callan – Radio Gaga

Time: 8:15PM
Date: 16th – 19th May, 2012
Venue: Jack High Comedy Club
Address: Cnr Storthers & Rookwood Sts Mt Lawley

Dave Callan hosted the Graveyard Shift on Triple J from 2005-2010. Early on he realised it was something special and started to record the weird and wonderful calls that made the show a cult success and essential drive-home listening. This is an hour of the best, the weirdest and the funniest. It’s like nothing you have ever heard, the rules of terrestrial radio were subverted, rarely was anyone declined an opportunity to go on-air. This open door policy resulted in some mind-bending and show-stopping moments, all handled in Dave Callan’s unique non-judgemental and dry manner. Dave has augmented the amazing audio clips with photos of the callers and in some cases, subtitles along with other surprises. This show is a truly unique live experience that is not to be missed. Five years of this hilarious madness in one jam-packed hour.

Greg Fleet – Bring It

Time: 9:30PM
Date: 16th – 19th May, 2012
Venue: Jack High Comedy Club
Address: Cnr Storthers & Rookwood Sts Mt Lawley

Comedy legend Greg Fleet returns with his first solo stand-up hour in three years. Bring it, bring it brought, always as you’re taught, because you can’t be said to bring it, till the mother fu#@ers brought. Fleety’s career spans longer than he cares to remember and includes all manner of TV, radio, books and, of course, stand-up comedy. He has always, and will always be, at the leading edge of comedy both here and in the UK. Don’t miss this exciting and hilarious new chapter in his comedy life!

John Conway – The New Conway Tonight Show

Time: 10:00PM
Date: May 9th – 12th & 16th – 19th, 2012
Venue: The Velvet Lounge at The Flying Scotsman
Address: 639 Beaufort Street Mt Lawley

What is the New Conway Tonight Show? It’s like if a talk-show was hosted by a comedy wolf-man but instead of being broadcast on television and banned by Hollywood executives, it’s live at the Velvet Lounge and the Hollywood executives are there but they are all coked up and sh*t, yelling at Conway saying ‘Get there Conway, next level sh*t man, f*ck yeah.’ It will be hosted by John Conway and feature comedians from the Festival.

Doors open at 6.30 for 8pm start finishing at 9.30pm

Tickets $15 full, $12 concession.

Presented by the Sydney Fringe Festival and Twisted Melon Productions

I knew I would enjoy this show, because Keira Daley singing nerdcore material – what’s not to like? Well aware of Keira’s range of performance talents and a proud nerdgeek tribe member, for me this was bound to be fun, and I hoped for more than just fun, and I wasn’t disappointed. I watched a beautifully crafted gem of cabaret unfold before me: veering from ironic banter to outrageous caricature to the melancholy revelations and triumphant weirdnesses adorning the lives of various historical Lady Nerds, skewering stereotypes with exuberance along the way.

A nerd is someone obsessed with ideas

LadyNerd celebrates awkwardly brilliant women with big ideas and a passion for seeing them through, and highlights how their Nerd Nature affected their lives in both hilarious and painful ways. It also showcases Keira’s versatility brilliantly, as the show moves through moods via monologues, sketches, patter with the pianist, multimedia moments, crowd interaction and song after song after glorious song.

From the moment we walked in and noted the Tetris backdrop, my nerdy friend and I were hooked. If you too love the well-timed application of Venn diagrams, pie charts and retro game soundtracks alongside fact-packed references to analytical engines, frequency hopping, the problems with poets and the terrible crime of apostrophe misuse, then you are one of the LadyNerd tribe.

More interested in well timed gags, rollicking rants, surprising segues and punchlines liberally laced with puns? LadyNerd has you covered.

Just want to watch a kick-arse vocalist and gifted accompanist play with ideas and emotions while taking you along for a wittily moving and theatrically satisfying ride? This lovingly structured show will delight you.

I don’t normally do stars for my reviews, but LadyNerd deserves five stars. Don’t miss it.