The best comedy at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2024

First we had the Bunnings rave, and now an improv show about the cult of DIY? What a bloody year. Step into the fluorescent lit aisles where every tool is a key to enlightenment and secrets lurk between every tin of paint. Expect a different story every night and a whole lot of frenetic energy.

Trans and neurodiverse femme fatale Tricksy Collins scored Best Comedy at 2020’s Fringe and now she’s back to talk about her double life as a comedian and a professional magician. Through illusions, sketches and stand-up, she’ll confront the complexities of masking, gender and identity.

Have you ever gotten into the bath and just… not wanted to ever get out? The mental load for the modern woman is heavy, but it turns out there’s a place you can escape: 38-degree water. Head along to find out if she ever leaves the sweet steamy embrace of the bath – we’re not sure we would.

Having emerged victorious in last year’s RAW Comedy national competition and featured in Comedy Zone at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Henry Yan has cemented himself as a rising star of the scene. Despite the name of the show, we think you really should come.

This iconic pair haven’t played it safe with their premise and it’s a gamble that surely paid off when The Platonic Human Centipede debuted at MICF this year. Our reviewer gave it five stars and called it “whip smart” and “spot on”. 

When Samsara first hopped on a mobility scooter in 2017, her whole life changed. Carrying the shopping home became easy as, and a whole new level of freedom was unlocked. However, getting scooters fixed is where things begin to unravel. Come for the banter, stay for the biting commentary on the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

What’s better than a classic late-night line-up show with half a dozen comedians? When those six comedians all have a PowerPoint preso about different topics. This show is a cult classic for a reason – there’s just something about visual accompaniments that makes things so much funnier.

The internet has gotten significantly weirder over the last few years and Abbey Dale is taking that fact and running with it. Clear your search history and delete your bookmarks, because we’re going on a tour of the foulest parts of the World Wide Web.

What happens when a silly goose tries to make a deep comedy show, when he’s literally a clown? Butterfly incorporates sketch, musical comedy, character work and clown, with a heavy dose of audience participation. Show up ready to share the spotlight.

With a name like that, surely you’re already halfway through adding tickets to this one to your cart. Performed by Kimberly Twiner, this satirical love letter to one of Australia’s wealthiest women is one for battlers everywhere. Has anyone checked on how Gina is doing? It can’t be easy being filthy rich during a cost of living crisis.