Melbourne International Comedy Festival: The weird, wacky and wonderful

Having had the pleasure of catching Mel O’Brien and Samantha Andrews’ High Pony at last year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival (a completely unhinged hour of queer energy and catchy musical bops), I returned once again to the Toff in Town, fully prepared for whatever insane magic this powerhouse pair has cooked up. And with The Platonic Human Centipede, it’s clear they didn’t come to play it safe.

The opening number quickly sets the tone for the evening, taking things from zero to 100 real quick. ‘Eat My Ass’ is a nod to the show title’s filmic inspiration and features the instantly quotable lyrics: “Eat my ass, not like yum but more like I love you”. Add a choreographed high-kick moment, and there’s not a person in the room who isn’t going feral for these two. 

The show's overarching theme is unsung duos of the modern world – we’re talking Bart and Lisa Simpson, Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket, and Santa Claus and Mrs Claus. The latter feature in a hilarious couples therapy skit that unpacks their love languages. Spoiler alert: ol’ Saint Nick is a words of affirmation guy.

But it’s an especially cheeky duet starring Mel and Sam as Robert and Bindi Irwin singing to their dearly departed father up in heaven (RIP) that elicits a can’t-believe-they-went-there response from the shrieking faux-horrified audience. Oh, they went there alright, and we’re all the better off for hearing them belt out “Is it slay? Do they play The Crocodile Hunter on Blu-Ray?” in perfect unison.

Other musical moments touch on all the important topics plaguing twentysomethings across the country right now, including sharehouse life (“every sharehouse has a cat that hates a pat”), polyamory and just wanting to be a soft girl who cries into her Stanley Cup, drives a hatchback Mazda and wears bows. Amen to that. 

But there’s a sweetness to this set that balances out the chaos, courtesy of Mel and Sam’s dads who provide completely inaccurate introductions to each new song or segment via voice recordings. An honourable mention must be made to Paul O’Brien (Mel’s father) for saying the show is about “a very friendly millipede”.

As they say at the start of ‘Anthem for the Soft Girl’, 2024 is undoubtedly a “year for the girlies”. And for those of us who worship at the glittering altar of Mel and Sam, we couldn’t agree more. These two remain a force to be reckoned with, and long may their whip-smart lyrics, spot-on comedic instincts and matching swishy parachute pants reign.

Chasing more comedic highs? Check out who else is performing at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

It’s 2am and you’ve found yourself in an incoherent conversation with a high-energy himbo and his hot lady muse in the club smokers. They’re not a couple, and yet they keep making out in between offering you more of whatever it is they’re on. You can’t find your friends, and now you’re considering going home with them to explore a new life of non-monogamy.

That’s what going to see Hot Department is like. A wild party of fast quips, chaotic dance numbers and horniness. It’s not for the faint-of-heart, but it is for those who would rather go big than go home. 

From the outset, Honor Wolff and Patrick Durnan Silva explode with energy. They’re dancing like nobody's watching, except it’s a packed-out audience at the Malthouse Theatre. This impeccable duo knows their audience very well –  they’ve perfectly cultivated a style of comedy for the theatrical Inner North queer community. They walk, so a new breed of fast-paced and ultra-camp comedians can run. 

Early on the duo reveals that they are, unsurprisingly, theatre kids, meeting at acting school before deciding to venture into comedy. This explains the triple-threat nature of Durnan Silva and Wolff — who can not only make you giggle, but can also come up with sharp song lyrics and even tap-dance. 

Stand up comedians should watch out, because Hot Department relies on more than just witty observations. They will kill you with laughter, then tap-dance on your grave.

It’s refreshing to see sketch comedy made for a younger and chronically online audience. Brace yourself for a TikTok-esque Kiera Knightley impression and a very sapphic Barbie sketch, which are just some of the memeable highlights to look forward to. 

In another memorable moment, the duo play a couple who tries to spice things up by pretending to be mice. Within minutes, the cuteness of the mouse sketch has dissipated — evolving into extreme levels of horndog and very little mouse. With so many fast and fun sketches, a circle back moment or cleverly interwoven theme would’ve really brought this show to new heights. 

What Hot Department does best is turn any moment into something sexy and erotic. They will seamlessly turn you on, and terrify you in the span of 30 seconds or less. They aren’t afraid of bringing the audience in on the fun either, forcing two men to fight over Honor’s honour by using some carefully crafted cue cards. 

Now we won’t spoil the ending, but be prepared to see Barbie in a whole new light — plus a leotard that leaves very little to the imagination. It was the perfect conclusion to an unhinged show of dancing incoherent madness. The stars of Hot Department are a power couple in the smokers you’ll never forget. 

Hot Department is playing at the Malthouse's Beckett Theatre until Sunday, April 21. Tickets are available here.

Want more? Check out who else is performing at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

The debut solo show from self-described citric acid daredevil Cherese Sonkkila is all about what it means to be your best self, aka coming to Fruition as a human being.

Through a mix of physical comedy, erotic storytelling and a whole punnet’s worth of fruit puns, Sonkkila promises to leave you sticky and quench your thirst for laughs. Catch Fruition at the Motley Bauhaus Theatrette from March 26 until April 5, with another cheeky show on April 13.

You might recognise Jane Watt and Ange Lavoipierre from their appearances on the ABC, but did you know they’ve also created an absurd musical sketch show they describe as a “Bunnings-flavoured farce”? For two nights only at precisely 11.55pm, those of you willing to head down to Comedy Republic in the wee hours will get to witness the debate of the century – should the show be about the entire genre of jazz, or the mysterious bucket of blood sitting on the stage? See Jazz or a Bucket of Blood for two nights only on April 12 and 13.