Info & Tickets for Live Online Shows
ALL SERIOUS COMEDY SHOWS PERFORMED LIVE DURING
CV-19 LOCKDOWN ARE BEING RUN ON A PAY WHAT YOU CAN MODEL.
In the live entertainment industry, everyone from performers to producers, PRs to box office staff have essentially lost all work for the foreseeable future – and we’re a bit broke.
I know lots of other people are struggling too, so we made our digital streaming work on a ‘Pay What You Can’ model – you still book a ticket, but you choose to pay whatever you’re financially able to.
In Australia we’ve got $5, $10, $20, $30 tickets, and for UK shows we’ve got £3, £5, £10 tickets.
Or, if money is tight, you can book a free ticket. We just ask that if you choose the free ticket option, you help spread the word by either liking the artist’s Facebook page, sharing the event, or signing up to the Serious Comedy Newsletter.
We’ve got a proper set up with a professional film director and fancy kit for the shows, so they still cost us a bit of money to put on, but not as much as a physical-in-person show in a bricks and mortar venue – and this work, with a few tweaks, is how we earn our income in non-global pandemic times as well.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
All of these shows are happening using an app called Zoom. You’ve probably already come across it in the last month, but for the uninitiated, Zoom is like Skype, but generally much better.
So, once you’ve booked your ticket, you’ll receive an email on the day of the show with all the details you’ll need to access the Zoom session. You can also download a simple PDF on how to Zoom with Serious Comedy if you’re not too familiar with the system.
Zoom doesn’t cost you anything (there is a free basic model and only the host needs to upgrade – so we absorb those costs), and it’s pretty easy to use. If you want to have a look at what it’s all about you can create a free login and download the app from https://zoom.us/
If you’ve already seen a show and want to make a donation, you can click here!
Proudly supported by the City of Melbourne's COVID-19 Arts Grants
RAMA NICHOLAS: The Lucky Ones
A romantic comedy adventure unlike any other – a master of character-comedy and storytelling, Rama sweep you off your feet in this hilariously juicy tale about love, sex and romantic relationships.
The story follows the warm and buttery character Carmen Walters, a seemingly ordinary middle-aged woman. But Carmen is anything but ordinary – she is a cult romance and erotica writer. In an exposé of her most noted stories, Carmen takes us on a seductively wild and intimate journey, unfolding new worlds where sexual tension, forbidden love and happy endings all play a leading role.
Winner Brisbane Tour Ready Award (2018) Nominee 2017 Best Comedy Melbourne Fringe (2017), Golden Gibbo Award Melb Comedy Fest (2017)
For Australia/NZ
Date: Sat, 4 July
Time: 8:30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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Proudly supported by Maribyrnong City Council's Together Apart Grant
LANA SCHWARCZ: Lovely Lady Lump
Directed by Sarah Ward & Liz Skitch. “Let me start by telling you I’m okay. I’m just in a small situation involving a pesky cancerous tumour in my left nork, but I’m not dying and I’m the luckiest person in the entire world.“
Lana’s story is told with a dark streak of humour delivered with the lightest of touch. It’s a fun yet moving show that everyone can enjoy, but will speak deeply to anyone who has found themselves or a loved one suddenly thrown into a medical system that’s a world away from normal life.
This show is a live stream of a previously performed show with a live introduction by Lana Schwarcz. It is proudly supported by Maribyrnong City Council.
Award Winner: Best Theatre (Dunedin), Most Outstanding Solo (Ottawa2016), Best in Fest, (Calgary), Adelaide Fringe Theatre Award 2017. Award Nominee: 720ABC Best Theatre (Perth), Best Show (Dunedin)
For Australia/NZ
Date: Sun, 5 July
Time: 6:00pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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YIANNI AGISILAOU: The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know
Internet eh? Maude eh?
Whether you’re a Simpsons tragic or just love the best show in TV history, this is one fun-diddly-un hour full of impressions, facts and stories including the true tale of how I almost ended up as the replacement voice for Mr Burns and Smithers. DOHn’t miss it!
“Go and see this show, even if you don’t know who The Simpsons are ★★★★ ½” Daily Review
“How he weaves in quotes using different character’s voices leaves us all in stitches. ★★★★ ½” The Music
For Australia/NZ
Date: Sat, 11 July
Time: 8:30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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LOUISA FITZHARDINGE: Comma Sutra
Louisa’s found true love in the English language, but it’s hard being a grammar nerd when there are people selling ‘potato’s’ and misusing the word ‘literally’ at every turn. All she really wants is someone who’ll snuggle up with her on the couch and seductively whisper puns into her ear. Ideally in multiple languages. Is that too much to ask?
It’s nerdy. It’s pun-filled. And it might just make you want to learn a language… or at least start erasing those damn stray apostrophes on cafe blackboards.
★★★★★ ‘Comma Sutra is a brilliant cabaret show – brilliant in content and performance alike.’ – The West Australian
★★★★★ ‘Witty lyricism and punchlines timed to perfection.’ – Theatre People
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Thursday, 16 July
TIME: 9pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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JUDE PERL: Part of This Complete Breakfast
Fusing her award winning songwriting with hilarious storytelling, Jude Perl’s ‘Let’s Hang Out’ is an hour of endearing absurdity, and profound social commentary.
Having established herself as a comedian who presents “hilarious and painfully spot on observations” (The Plus Ones) mixed with undeniably catchy songs.
★★★★★ ‘One of the most genuine, honest feeling performers going around’ – Theatre People
Winner of 3 Green Room Awards for Best Original Songs, Another Green Room Award for Cabaret Artiste and Best Cabaret at Melbourne Fringe
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Thursday, 30 July
TIME: 8.30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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ANDREW MCCLELLAND'S Mix Tape
Award-winning comedian and Cher’s official support DJ for her latest Aus/NZ Tour, Andrew McClelland loves music. From chart top, indie-pop, soul and hip-hop to thrash, hard, grind and various other ‘-cores’. A celebration of music, with jokes.
“praise comes as easily as the belly laughs… You’d be hard pressed to have more fun in any other Comedy Festival show.” – The Age
“a feel-good show filled with laughter and leaves us with a sense of connection with him, each other, and our own personal mix tape.” 4.5 stars – Fringe Feed
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Thursday, 6 August 2020
TIME: 8:30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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ALAN LOVETT:
Poems to Lockdown to
A short evening of poetry to captivate and delight the soul during lockdown, performed by Alan Lovett.
Expect works both serious and funny from Banjo Paterson, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Spike Milligan, Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath and Roald Dahl among many others.
Get a taste of Alan’s magical performance in this 30 second video.
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Saturday, 27 June
TIME: 7:00pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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Proudly supported by the City of Melbourne's COVID-19 Arts Grants
YIANNI AGISILAOU: Australia Says Welcome (Conditions Apply)
1965: Yianni’s Mum is called a dirty w*g by her teachers.
1994: Yianni is called the same by his classmates.
2019: Yianni is FINALLY called a straight white guy. Achievement, unlocked.
From his roots in Cyprus (ancient island colonised by the Brits) to Australia (ahem…) Yianni presents an hour of stories and stand up for anyone from anywhere else (and that’s most of us) about when Australia says (and doesn’t say) welcome.
“Deep and thoughtful as well as charming and intelligent. This is everything that a
good show should be ★★★★” The Skinny
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Saturday, 27 June
TIME: 8:30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
Check your local time with this nifty time zone converter
Proudly supported by the City of Melbourne's COVID-19 Arts Grants
ANDREW MCCLELLAND: A Seated Walking Tour Of Western Europe
The ONLY responsible way to travel.
Armed with Google Street View, a big screen and an enthusiastic but flawed knowledge of history, Andrew guides you (rather hurriedly) through Europe’s greatest cities and towns. See the things! Learn their stories! Get no exercise!
Never has a European walking tour been so quick, funny and indeed, cost effective.
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Thursday, 28 May
TIME: 8:30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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THE ANARCHIST GUILD SOCIAL DISTANCING COMMITTEE
All profits go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre because the world is a dark place and why not have a laugh and raise money for people who need it?
Australia’s finest sketch – comedy team return to celebrate 12 years of laughs! Well… two years of consistent laughs and about fours gigs in the last decade, but whatever. We’ve been busy…
Featuring a bunch of pretty great (award-winning) comics: Kelly Fastuca, Tegan Higginbotham, Andrew McClelland, Richard McKenzie, Ben McKenzie, Celia Pacquola and Nick Caddaye.
New jokes! Old jokes! Live jokes! Pre-recorded jokes! The important part is that there will be jokes. Also, surprise special guests!
FOR AUSTRALIA / NZ
DATE: Sunday, 21 June
TIME: 5:30pm (Australian Eastern/GMT+10)
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The Worst Game Show Ever
It’s a fun night-in of pandemonium, a perfect end to Saturday, whether you’ve been day drinking, watching kids (or both). This show is wildly overpromising in every regard.
Guest comedians battle it out in the ultimate Serious Comedy game show night. In a series of increasingly challenging questions and potentially life threatening tasks, there can only be one (maybe two) winner(s). The show may be padded out with sketches, stand-up and other performances if aforementioned challenges are rejected on the basis of health and safety.
SIMON PALOMARES Locked Down and Loaded
Oops! You missed this one, but you can check out Simon’s amazing recipe for French Apple Tart – along with the clip of him making it live on Zoom over on the blog page.