Hot Spots: Last Tuesday Society

Friday 16 April 2010, 9:26 AM
By The Team | Posted in Events and Places

We had a few wheezes and giggles on Tuesday evening with Rich and Bron’s Last Tuesday Society, which has been appearing at The Hi Fi Bar on Tuesdays throughout the Comedy Festival.  The Last Tuesday Society allows performers of all persuasions to try out new pieces of work in a gathering of other interested theatre types. They let us take a peek backstage, watch the glee club ‘Oh Choired’ rehearse, and witness the general haphazardary of organising a variety show to make people laugh (a lot).

The comedy festival winds to an end this week, but it’s not over for LTS – they’ll be back again for Next Wave Festival, appearing at Witches in Britches in West Melbourne.

LINKS

Last Tuesday Society

Melbourne Insider: Comedian Dave Thornton

Thursday 8 April 2010, 10:44 AM
By The Team | Posted in People

Funny-man Dave Thornton’s tip for someone who wants to get into comedy? ‘Never go to bed in wet socks’. In today’s Melbourne Insider, Dave provides more helpful insights into the secret life of comedians during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

One of the problems of walking around the streets of Melbourne during the Comedy Festival is you run the very real risk of having your hand severed off by paper cuts. Many of the comics are trying their earnest lil’ butts off to hand you flyers to their show and I know it can feel a little overwhelming.

The thing you have to remind yourself is we don’t mean to harass you – we just want people to come and see our show. Philosophers have often pondered ‘if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ Comics have often pondered ‘if a comedian tells a joke and no one is around to hear it, am I funny?’ Well we may still be funny but the only certain thing is if there’s no ticket sale, we’re definitely poor.

The real fun happens each night after the shows are performed. We finish our arduous hour-long shift and then catch-up with other comics to see how their equally tasking hour-long shift went. A great thing to do after a show is go to a bar that is secluded and select yet with the hope that you will run into other comics who are secluded and select.

A comic’s lifestyle lends itself to the evening, we’re renowned nocturnal creatures, so late night dining is a must. Tapas are a favourite of mine. There’s Vietnamese-French Tapas served at Coda Bar & Restaurant, 141 Flinders Lane. Not only is the food top shelf, the place is one of those ‘man I feel cooler for just sitting in here’ restaurants.

Spanish donuts are a late night favourite of Hairy Canary on Little Collins, as well as Gin Palace, The Toff on Swanston St and, for fans of cosy drinking holes, the Cabinet Bar and Balcony. It’s not very spacious so to combat that they hang chairs off the walls. All you need is a three-metre vertical leap and hey presto you’re relaxed. So come down and check these places out and we can grab a drink, I might even flyer you.

Catch Dave at his Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, ‘A Different Type of Normal’, on until 18 April at Arthur’s Bar at Rosati, 95 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (Tue-Sat 8.30pm, Sun 7.30pm).

Melbourne Insider March: a festival of festivals

Tuesday 2 March 2010, 9:10 AM
By The Team | Posted in Events

Monty from Nova 100′s Ryan, Monty and Wippa (4pm-6pm) shares her festival tips with that’s melbourne and Melbourne Insider.

For me, March in Melbourne feels a little similar to an awesome buffet breakfast – there is so much to choose from that you don’t know where to start and how to fit it all in. Do you go straight for some music or fashion? Comedy or maybe the Dragon Boat Festival? Then there’s the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the fun runs. The choice is endless so I’ll attempt to do my best to give you a taste test from Melbourne’s March buffet.

The Super Sunset series is a series of community fun runs. What I love about it is that you get to choose from the 8km or 4km run (4km sounds much more enticing I reckon), and it’s at twilight. So instead of getting up at the crack of dawn on your Sunday you can spend your day eating whatever you like, whack on your runners while the sun’s setting and go for a jog. If you are keen for a sunset stroll, run or sprint, then get your legs moving because the final Super Sunset event is on 10 March.

The L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival is just around the corner, kicking off on 14 March – it’s the perfect motivation to scare you into fitness as all the beautiful people take over Melbourne. The festival is the time to see the best and worst that fashion has to offer – from the ridiculously over-priced to the staple every-days.

The opening party is a grand event held at Government House and anyone who has appeared in the social pages at least once gets an invite; the downside for the rest of us is it’s an invite only event. Of course there are plenty of events over the week that are free for all, and these often end up being the most fun. Australian up and coming designers are the best ones to check out. Last year Alexis Dawn put on the show of all shows and this year a must see is Luela. Note: Check under your seat at any show you attend. There are often good freebies.

I do have my paws on a Myer Autumn / Winter collection fashion parade ticket. I am excited to spend the hour deluding myself that I will look as gorgeous as Jen Hawkins does in the clothes she will be gliding down the cat walk in. Not only is it a ticket to see the latest fashion must haves, but it’s also a ticket to dream.

Apparently the ‘it’ bar during the festival is the Woolshed Pub at Docklands. No doubt Martinis will be savoured and air kisses will be all the rage, but if you want to mingle with fashion big wigs, head to the Woolshed for a brewski.

From fashion to footy, which pretty much goes hand in hand, the end of March brings us to the beginning of the AFL season. Thursday 25 March is the beginning of round one. Richmond versus Carlton. The MCG will be packed and even I, someone who doesn’t follow AFL religiously, will be attending. Tanned muscular men in mini shorts is not a bad sight. So whether you’re into the sport or not there is something for everyone.

Melbourne’s March is huge and this is only the icing on a massive cake – so let the fun begin!

~ Monty