Melbourne is buzzing at the moment, if you didn’t notice; the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for 2009 is in full swing. There is plenty of comedy on offer including the show Jokey Joke Time.

Jokey Joke Time stars Eric Hutton who has done a bunch of stuff with other people before such as MC-ing for Mark Watson in Sydney, being in Sam Simmons’ 2008 festival show (winner of the Festival Director’s Choice Award), and filling in for Roy and H.G. on Triple J.

“Now it’s time for me to jump off coat tails and start being a real man. A real man with real feelings all bottled up inside, waiting for the kill. Jokey Joke Time starts at the intellectual end of the spectrum and slowly descends into puerile sludge, with a lot of fun-time detours along the way. So if you like high middle, or low-brow humour, come along”, says Eric Hutton on his show.

You can catch Jokey Joke Time every night from Tuesday to Saturday up until the 25th April 2009 at the Old Melbourne Gaol. See you there!

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world, alongside Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival.

An annual event, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival literally takes over Australia’s comedy capital, Melbourne, each autumn with an enormous program of stand-up comedy, cabaret, theatre, street performance, film, television, radio and visual arts.

The Festival was launched in 1987 by Barry Humphries and Peter Cook. Twenty-two Festivals later, with attendances of over 400,000, it has grown to be Australia’s largest cultural event. With an average ticket price of just $22, the Comedy Festival is not only a hugely popular event but an extremely accessible one. When the Melbourne Town Hall precinct is converted into a giant comedy hub, there is something for every comedy lover, from the very best local and international comedy acts in venues of all shapes and sizes.

Two Flat Whites kicks off 2009 chatting with comedian, writer & broadcaster Wil Anderson . Anderson is a loose cannon, fast, funny and full of razor-sharp observations. He is down to earth and a must see live!

Wil Anderson is renowned for his stand-up comedy. Some of you might know him as “the bloke who sat in the middle” on the ABC’s award-winning, The Glass House for five years or “the one who didn’t know anything about maths” on the much-loved Triple J Breakfast show or even “that bloke who hosts Spicks And Specks”. (That last one is actually Adam Hills, but he does get mistaken for Adam a lot). He is also author of the book, Survival Of The Dumbest which has the proud honour of “being over 250 pages long without photos”. Even though he has spent the majority of his adult life working at the ABC he has watched heaps of ads, and even appeared in a couple!

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

I grew up on a road called Anderson’s Rd, which was named after my Grandfather who built the road. My Dad still lives there. When people ask if my folks are happy with my career choice, I just reply: “Dude they are happy I am not married to my own sister! (I mean we dated but it didn’t work out!)”

Now the road tends to be my home. I spend a lot of time in hotel rooms taking everything out of the mini-bar and pretending I am a giant. But my house is in Sydney. My heart belongs wherever there is a crowd and a spotlight.

In your own words, what do you do?

Tell Dick Jokes For Cash.

What or who are some of your inspirations?

Billy Connolly, Bill Hicks, Doug Stanhope, Eddie Izzard, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Ross Noble, Dave Hughes, Paul Merton, Hunter S. Thompson and that is just some off the top of my head.

I’m constantly inspired by people who are doing what they love to do, whatever industry, but mostly I’m inspired by my hideous mortgage and lack of other skills.

If you had the power to do anything at all, what would it be & why?

What I do, but better.

Childhood Memories:

TV Show - The two shows that changed my life were The Big Gig and The Money or the Gun.

Hobby - I grew up on a farm so your parents would say goodbye to you in the morning, and expect you back at dark. Your hobby was your imagination.

Food - Toast. The greatest of all foods, so simple, but so delicious. I still love it. When I was at uni I used to make cheese on toast by laying my toaster on the side.

Fear - Being ordinary.

Sport - I played football, basketball and cricket. I was pretty good at football, not bad at basketball, and rubbish at cricket. I would have loved to be good at cricket.

Defining moment - Seeing Billy Connolly with my Mum when I was 17.
Seeing 3000 people in a room hanging on his every word as he swore and joked and all I could think is: “Now this is a job!”

Schooling memories, chore or cherished?

Bit of both. Great family, good friends, but I knew I wanted more, and kept running into teachers who would tell me I couldn’t have it…

You have been on numerous TV shows, done countless gigs but tell us, was the highlight of your career appearing on Hey Hey its Saturday?

Hey if it’s good enough for Bill Hicks and Peter Cook then it is ok for me. Actually my career highlight was getting to the program Rage.

Can you tell us about a young Australian comedian to look out for?

Josh Thomas is great and Felicity Ward I find really funny.

As a comedian, is there a pressure to always be funny, even when you just want to go out and relax?

Nah, not really I think it’s like a chef. You might want to cook at home, but after coming home from work you normally just want someone else to cook for you or grab some takeaway.

The Gruen Transfer, will it be coming back next year, and will you ever look at commercials in the same way?

It is back in March. Sadly these days I end up fast-forwarding through TV shows I have taped just to look at the ads.

Do you miss John Howard?

No, I like to move on. No more John Howard, no more Shannon Noll, no more Amanda Vanstone.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over dinner, who would they be & why?

Dave Grohl, PJ Harvey, Billy Connolly. That would just be an awesome party. Imagine the laughs with Dave and Billy, the tunes with Dave and PJ. And I think PJ is really hot. So that works too. All bases covered.

Coffee, Tea or Bonox?

Coffee. And way too much of it for my own good. But I like tea too. And soup. I enjoy a warm beverage.

Funnyman & well-known television, radio and stand-up comedian, Wil Anderson , performed one of his hilarious stand-up comedy shows at the Roxbury Hotel in Glebe last night. Two Flat Whites caught the show & enjoyed the entertainment including the four comedians leading up to the main event.

The Roxbury Hotel is a wonderful establishment with a diverse cool crowd. They often hold functions, have plenty of space to chill, have a few drinks, kick up your heels & enjoy a wonderful meal.

Wil is a stand up first and foremost, touring Australia and the world at every opportunity, performing more than a hundred shows a year, currently in his show titled BeWILdered . You can hear him on the nations airwaves on Triple M’s national Drive Show, “Wil and  Lehmo” in Melbourne & he is probably best known for hosting ABC-TVs AFI Award winning program, The Glass House , which was on screen for many years.

We have always enjoyed Wil’s quick wit. Seeing him live for the first time though was an experience in itself. He not only brings people together to make them laugh, he is also very professional, obviously really enjoys what he does & brings messages about issues we face in the world today to his act & he does it in a humorous & intelligent way.

Catch Wil Anderson when he performs near you. He will make you laugh & when you leave the show you will want to come back for more. And remember, laughter feeds the soul!

Article by Robbie Ryan

The eighth HLB Mann Judd Brisbane Cabaret Festival has exploded out of its skin serving up a sumptuous array of dazzling performers in Brisbane’s best venues and running from 1st October to 11th October 2008.

The 2008 power-packed program celebrates contemporary cabaret and all that it encompasses with music exotic and eclectic, cracking comedy, the dark, the mysterious, a bit of burlesque and a bit of kitsch….. Brisbane Cabaret Festival style.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre will be Cabaret Central with the Playhouse transforming into The Crystal Room and Studio 1 morphing into the glamorous and intimate Gem Saloon – where all the shiny beautiful local gems are right on stage in front of you.

The full program is available at www.brisbanecabaretfestival.com

If you’re finding it difficult to see the funny side of Brisbane, look no further than Brisbane comedy festival In Stitches for a little inspiration. Some of the funniest people in the country head to Brisvegas for 12 side-splitting nights of stand-up comedy, live music, theatrics and general buffoonery from June 17th to 29th June 2008.

In Stitches takes place at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and includes the antics of Jimeoin, Anh Do, The Umbilical Brothers, Fiona O’Loughlin, Julia Morris, Cal Wilson, Carita Farrer, Akmal Saleh, Scared Weird Little Guys, Puppetry of the Penis and the Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour. Though events are ticketed, free performances take place late each night in the Cascade Court.