Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2015 - Hannah Gadsby, Barnie Duncan and Emma J Hawkins

Disclaimer: I was given free tickets to see Calypso Nights. I paid to see Hannah Gadsby and Emma J Hawkins. Actually, Adam paid for tickets to Emma's show, but I bought him dinner. All opinions are my own.

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of my most favourite times of the year. Melbourne is just buzzing. I love the sense of community and the talent across the huge number of shows on offer. I'd like to see more shows than I can afford (in time and money) every year! So far I've seen three shows, and will see another tonight. Here are my reviews. 

Hannah Gadsby: Donkey - Melbourne Town Hall

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Hannah Gadsby's show Donkey has nothing to do with donkeys. It's a deeply personal show about her mental health - a common theme through her shows (that I've seen at least). For years she believed she had depression. Much of her comedic material was based on this. But then, with a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) age 37, she worried that her career would be thrown out by this new diagnosis. Alas! There's plenty more material for future shows, she said! She is so clever - while admitting to a life of disorganisation, she's created a beautuful, thought provoking and courageous show without writing a single word down.

In her usual self deprecating yet humorous style, she talked the audience through what was the breaking point for taking control of her mental health, and the sense of relief when she received the ADHD diagnosis. Everything made sense - this diagnosis was the explanation for her behaviour.

At times, I felt sympathy and empathy - I wanted to extend a hug upon hearing stories of. There was a point in the show where she discussed self harm, and while she made light of it, she also depicted the brutality of mental illness. It was an uncomfortable watch for a moment.

I've realised and rejoiced in the sense of identity, relief and belonging that comes with a diagnosis. Hannah explored this throughout her show. She doesn't believe her illness should be classed as a disorder, and said that everyone is on the spectrum in some way - much like the comments from this specialist on World Autism Day.

"I love my brain, I'm happy with it", Hannah said, rejoicing that her brain is creative, allowing her to write (though she doesn't write anything down) over 20 comedy shows/

And the most poignant line of the show for me was "We've built a world that only celebrates one kind of brain - sociopath" - the same could apply to one kind of body - highlighting the difficulty of the 'normal' ideal.

Five stars.

(If you need to talk to someone about mental illness, call LifeLine on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.)

Barnie Duncan: Calypso Nights - The Tuxedo Cat

I give credit to Barnie Duncan for performing all of his show Calyspo Nights in a thick Spanish accent. He spoke in Spanish for a third of the show - acting as a Venezuelan DJ. It was great acting. Barnie is a New Zealand actor who's appeared in Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune, the Power Rangers and Xena, to name a few.

Calypso Nights featured lots of record playing, maraca shaking and sultry hip swaying. At times I found the show a little slow - perhaps due to the radio static, and I wasn't keen on the dick jokes, but overall it was a fun hour.  I LOVED his shirt, self-described as "the most beautiful shirt in the world".

Barnie did well to foster non-embarassing audience participation throughout the show - the peak was at the end where we danced in a group hug. 

Three stars. 

Emma J Hawkins: I am not a unicorn - The Northcote Town Hall

Adam and I, plus a group of friends, went to see Emma J Hawkins last night. We've come to know Emma through Quippings, where we've both performed.

Her comedy festival show was the most theatrical of the three I've seen - it was a lavish production of music, comedy and dancing. She warns the audience that the show features "a short statured person defying stereotypes".

Emma challenged the stereotypes of disability - talking about her morning routine and many of the assumptions people make about her (she can have sex, she is not funny eating a banana, and you can call her Emma). She used a unicorn as a metaphor for disability superbly - addressing the way people with disability are typecast as inspirational, brave, stupid and for the public's voyeuristic gaze. I especially enjoyed (and related to) her account of the rude questions people have asked her - the punch coming from when a narrator (a 'normal', picked from the audience) set those stereotypes straight.

I said to Emma after the show, I hope the people who need to hear these messages about disability attend the show.

Emma is a versatile performer. She is funny, candid, swears like a sailor and is a brilliant booty shaker.

Four stars.

Buy tickets to all shows via the Melbourne International Comedy Festival website.

Have you seen any shows at the Comedy Festival? 

Who is your favourite comedian?

The time Mat Fraser from American Horror Story slapped my arse.

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On Wednesday some friends and I saw The Freak and The Showgirl at the Melba Spiegeltent. It was fabulous disability-burlesque. Wow. I don't think I was quite prepared for the level of nudity and barrier pushing. But it was highly enjoyable. 

The Freak and the Showgirl stars Mat Fraser (from American Horror Story) and his wife Julie Atlas Muz (former Miss Coney Island). It challenged my thinking around freak shows (Mat said they're empowering and gave people with disabilities financial freedom), and made me uncomfortable at times (there was a part where Julie held a gun and I was scared!). But that's what good art does, right?

I wrote about Mat last year after seeing him and Julie in Exposed. I really like how he's taken control of his disability and image and mixed the shock factor with pride. 

I was one of five invited on stage to wiggle my bum during the show. I got a slap on the arse from Mat. And (thank GOD) I missed being involved in a naked beer orgy on stage by this (--) much. 

Mat wrote to me after the show, thanking me for being brave enough to twerk on stage. 

Here's a video about the show from The Age (contains nudity). Enjoy!

The Freak and the Showgirl is playing in Melbourne on 21 and 22 March. Tickets here. Strictly 18+.

(I paid for my own ticket and drink, and haven't been paid to write about the show. I just really enjoyed it.)

Shane Warne the Musical. And my baffling crush on Shane Warne the cricketer.

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On Thursday night I was treated to a night out at the theatre to see Shane Warne the Musical. I was Tash's guest - she received the tickets from the Arts Centre Melbourne.

Eddie Perfect (who is quite perfect) starred as cricketer Shane Warne - and he certainly could pass for Warne's twin. He wrote the script and composed the music too. His voice is versatile - singing jazz, hitting the high and low notes, rapping and dancing. Perfect.

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Eddie updated the original 2008 show to include Shane's recent escapades. There was an orchestra, lighting and turf to represent the MCG, and a stellar cast featuring familiar faces.

Shane Warne the Musical showcased Shane's life - from 1988 when he was chosen to train at the AIS ("how do you spell success? AIS", the cast chanted), the birth of The Flipper (the famous bowling technique), receiving his baggy green, his marriage to Simone Callaghan, ALL the scandals, his retirement, the many, many brand ambassadorships (toy cars, poker, underwear, sunglasses - to name a few) and to his present day romance with Elizabeth Hurley.

Shane Jacobson featured as Terry Jenner, Shane's close mentor. Terry saw the potential in Shane and wanted to steer him on the right path, for he felt Shane also had (negative) potential to throw his career away by living a carefree lifestyle - perhaps how Terry had done in the past.

The show delved into the scandals he's been involved in. So many scandals. In the intermission, we overheard an audience member in front of us say, "You forget his much he's done in his life. So much dodgy stuff to come." And she was so right!

There was the diuretics, sledging, match fixing, the explicit text messages to women, an affair with the British nurse, the shipment of baked beans to India...

It was the womanising that impacted on his marriage to Simone (played by Lisa McCune). The musical had a dig at how stupid she was for taking him back after the affairs and text messages.

The musical was hilarious - and so lyrically clever! Lots of references to cricket (a great slow-motion reenactment of The Ball of the Century) but equally as many references to Shane's personal life. My favourite was the scene when Shane and Simone met - the song was called Dancing with the Stars (Simone was a contestant on the show) and there was some clumsy dancing happening. The audience responded well - lots of laughter.

I also loved the addition of the Liz Hurley storyline - she was depicted as a ball breaker - showing Shane who is boss, and set the record straight on the surgery claims, singing "it's not surgery, it's love." Ha! There was a brilliant scene showing a recent kerfuffle Liz had with a journalist at an airport - telling her where to go - and in the musical, the journalist described being told to Fuck Off by Liz Hurley as the "highlight of her life."

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The show was thought provoking as it focused a lot on Warne as the Spin King - not in the spin bowling sense, but the publicity spin. Spinning chairs were used as visual props - representing the dizzying amount of brands he's affiliated with as well as the need to be present in the media almost all of the time. Twitter has been a great way Shane Warne has maintained a presence - often sharing too much information with the world.

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Shane Warne the brand is constantly being made over, and as the PR team cast sang, "we've got to keep him spinning or hell die." It did make me wonder how much Shane Warne thrives on being in the spotlight.

Eddie Perfect nails it, observing just how much Shane is present as a cultural icon - whether it's for his cricket, his many indiscretions on and off the field, or his lengthy list of cringeworthy moments. He's always reinventing himself so he takes to focus off the stupid things he's done for the world to remember him as a cricketing champion.

I remembered so much of the history detailed in Shane Warne the Musical - for Shane Warne was a big part of my life for a short time.

When I was a kid - 11-13 years old, I'd say, I had a crush on Shane Warne. It was back when he looked like this.

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I think I'd seen him in a magazine one day and thought bleached blonde hair and lips full of zinc cream was pretty hot. Before you Ian Healey could say "Bowl Shane", I had scrapbooks full of Shane Warne pictures, I'd written to Cricket Victoria for merchandise, bought Inside Edge magazine, collected a tin of cricket cards, read his biographies, toured the MCG and had posters of him modelling Just Jeans clothing plastered all over my bedroom walls. I was obsessed. And I didn't even like cricket. Still don't. It bores me. I don't understand it. But I'd watch it for Shane. I took some time off school once to watch the last test in Perth, just to see him looking hot on the pitch. What was I thinking?!

The pinnacle of my fandom was when I sent him and Simone a wedding present. It was a photo frame. A lovely wedding present. Except it had a picture of me in it. What?! I was 13. And I really really wanted him to that I was his biggest fan (despite not liking cricket). He wrote back!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember being SO EXCITED when that autographed note arrived. Dad laminated it and I was in awe for weeks.

I downplay the inappropriateness/baffling nature of my crush because it was before the text message scandal. I just thought he was a wholesome cricketer and faithful husband married to his Fosters promo girl sweetheart. While I have definitely moved on from this celebrity crush, I did enjoy reliving that period of fandom through watching Shane Warne the Musical.

Have you seen Shane Warne the Musical? What did you think?

Have you had a bizarre or inappropriate celebrity crush?