Our Comedy Festival Picks As Melbourne Restaurants
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Finally a little rain in Melbourne town, and as the activations are dismantled from another exhausting Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, we’re flung head first into yet another cultural onslaught. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is now occurring in every single conceivable space in our fair city.
I always marvel at the logistics of this festival, and the sheer amount of acts being staged simultaneously; if there’s a room available on the Hoddle grid in April, chances are it will have live comedy in it. On any given night you can wander into the ticket office at Town Hall and find something worth watching, whether it be the old reliables, like the reanimated corpse of Stepehen K Amos, defrosted from carbonite for his permanent annual stint, or a daring upstart bringing their dream of a Harry Potter themed BDSM cabaret to life. Anything is possible.
We at the Bureau aren’t opposed to a mirthful chortle of an evening, and have taken in a number of acts so far. And, despite various outraged comments on Instagram posts alleging otherwise, we are not in fact comedians. So we thought we’d lend our expertise in the best way we know how, presenting our picks for MICF 2024 as the Melbourne restaurants that best suit their performance. Reserve your tickets, book a table, and imbibe liberally in a feast of funny this April.
Takashi Wakasugi: SPQR
Hilarious rising star Takashi Wakasugi is one of the most exciting young prospects in Australian comedy. The Japanese transplant’s energy is contagious, contorting his body and expressive face in a mesmeric dance of enthusiasm. Takashi’s comedy is built around the culture clash of Japanese traditions and the relaxed eccentricities of his adopted home, Melbourne, and the results are hysterical.
One of the most memorable slices of Takashi’s set analyses the inherent cultural implications of a person’s chosen method for reheating pizza; something that had never occurred to me, but something I’ve been unable to stop thinking about since. So rather than the lazy recommendation of a Japanese eatery, I’m suggesting Dave Mackintosh’s underrated Liverpool Street pizzeria SPQR. While the by-the-slice offering that SPQR launched with is long since gone, dense, chewy sourdough pizzas remain in a casual, lively setting. One of the CBD’s fleetingly few exemplary pie places.
Lloyd Langford: 300 Grams
Welsh expat Lloyd Langford eschews the absurdist, dry humour he has become famous for in pursuit of a more relatable, observational set. It’s pleasant norm-core Northcote dad fare, perfectly enjoyable for your standard stand up set, but a little underwhelming coming from one as singular as Langford. An ill-advised detour about child exploitation had me looking at my watch, but all in all, a solid showing.
When I think solid, norm-core and Northcote, I think the OG outlet of burgeoning burger chain 300 Grams, who serve one of the most dependably delicious and nostalgic burgers in Melbourne.
Bron Lewis: Naughton’s Hotel
Bron Lewis’ bravado brand of assured mum-comedy is a real treat. Lewis is such a measured, controlled performer, and really holds the room’s attention; it’s a great example of the art of public speaking. I’d advise any prospective hecklers to reconsider any intervention; Lewis does not suffer fools, and will gleefully eviscerate any interlopers to her set.
A significant portion of Bron’s performance dealt with a return to her home of Wagga Wagga, and the differences between city and country life. The easy, assured manner in which Lewis dissects these issues puts me in the mind of a proper country pub, with a quality Sunday roast and a roaring fire to share stories in front of. While such pubs are increasingly rare, an example exists only a few tram stops from The Westin, where Lewis is performing this year. Naughton’s Hotel Parkville has all of the charms and comforts of a comfy country pub, and one of the city’s best roasts as well. A friendly team brings the banter, and a constantly evolving tap and wine program means you’ll be suitably hydrated for a night of comedy.
Brett Blake: FItzroy Town Hall
While Blake’s humour is not what I would describe as my tempo, the energy he brings to the stage can’t help but captivate. It’s kind of like driving full bore, windows down, in a souped-up Holden Commodore, or seeing Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire in IMAX; kinda dumb, in an enjoyable way.
There is no easier culinary comparison of Blake’s comportment than the classical Australian parma, but it is here that I am going to have to shock my beloved readers with one of my more confronting food opinions. I don’t really like parmas. I may, if the mood strikes, have one once a year, but I’ve almost always found them stodgy, soggy and underwhelming.
So, permit me if you will to exercise some slight liberties with the concept of the parma, and recommend instead a visit to my beloved Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel. This exquisitely appointed gastro pub is one of the city’s best, and their elegant take on the parma is something I can really get excited about; a juicy brined chicken schnitzel upends tradition, sitting atop a tomato sugo, then gently adorned with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and deftly dressed leaves. The result is a fresh, elegant, and superior take on the parma that retains its crunch, and one befitting a Bureau subscriber’s pre-comedy parma craving.
Rob Auton: Fluffy Torpedo
Few acts at this year’s festival bring the subversive, absurd energy that Auton does. A cross between a deranged Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner ranter and Rasputin, Auton’s recipe is truly unique. At times, audiences would be forgiven for thinking they’d mistakenly wandered into a beat poetry open mic night. Other times, the sheer silliness of Auton’s set completely belies his desert-dry delivery, and the contrast is jarring. It’s truly unpredictable from one line to the next, so much so that I can’t even think of an appropriate restaurant comp in 2024.
This, I would posit, is due to the challenging economic climate steering chefs away from challenging, innovative dishes, but there is another venue I feel channels Auton’s chaos. At Fluffy Torpedo, the rapidly expanding Smith Street Ice Creamery that makes Willy Wonka seem like a traditionalist, expect the unexpected. Some recent flavours: Green apple and iceberg lettuce. Pork butter, chilli oil and toffee almond. Kalamata olive. Vegemite and white chocolate. Musk and Eclipse mints. I’m not making these up; not even a mind as absurd and unpredictable as Rob Auton could, which makes Fluffy Torpedo the perfect pre (or post) show stop.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival runs until Sunday 21st April 2024.
For the full program, click here