Are you looking for some 66a Church road onsale dates and hot tips for themelbourne comedy festival? oh. well, you've stumbled into the right emailbuddy. strap in. So, just to remind you, these are the dates for the uk tour of 66a ChurchRoad - A Lament Made of Memories and Kept in Suitcases. The Tron Theatre, Glasgow - April 28th - May 1st
www.tron.co.ukThe Gala Theatre, Durham - May 3rd
www.galadurham.co.ukThe Everyman Theatre, Liverpool - May 6th - 8th
www.everymanplayhouse.comThe Playhouse, Norwich (Part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival) - May 10th,11th
www.nnf10.org.ukThe M.A.C., Birmingham - May 17th,18th
www.macarts.co.ukWarwick Arts Centre - May 19th - 21st
www.warwickartscentre.co.ukThe Crucible Studio, Sheffield - May 22nd, 23rd
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.ukThe Pavillion Theatre, Brighton - May 24th,25th
www.brightondome.orgThe Junction, Cambridge - May 26th, 27th
www.junction.co.ukThe Tobacco Factory, Bristol - May 28th, 29th
www.tobaccofactory.comThe New Players Theatre, London - June 1st - 13th
www.newplayerstheatre.comLiverpool and London tickets go on sale at 9am on the 22nd of March. Bristol will be on sale March 31st. All other venues are already on sale. So that's that dealt with. If you are not in or heading to Melbourne forthe Comedy Festival. there is nothing of further interest to you in thisemail, and it really goes on. So, i'd stop reading if i were you. Go on, Piss off. Good. Now, People of Melbourne, I wont be performing in any capacity at thisyears Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This is a bit strange andsad for me, as i've been there every year since 2002 and being anywhereelse at this time of year feels a bit wonky. I'm sure you have little interest in the reasons, but here they are, i haveno show. That's the biggy. Neither do I have any work in progress to showas i did last year. Also, of course, I was only there in January for threeweeks at the arts centre, kicking out the jams. And by kicking out thejams, i obviously mean performing a low key, melancholy theatre show. I have been on tour, in one capacity or another since around this time lastyear with very little time off and would like to sit in my house, bake,drive my car, try and tempt birds onto my new bird table, potter about withvarious recordings and ideas and so on. Buy books that i wont read. Thinkabout going to the theatre. Play Football. And sleep in the same bed for awhile. So far, i'm having mixed results, i absolutely nailed some sweetcornfritters with coriander and chilli, but then i totally ballsed up a steakand ale pie. Inedible. In. Fucking. Edible. As for the birds, I really dontknow what their problem is, little shits. Anyway, the point is this, whilst not there, i obviously cant resiststicking my fat oar in. And assuming that you will be saving some moneythat would ordinarily have been spent on me, here are some suggestionsabout somewhere else to fritter it (specifically in regard to shows, notinvestments or saving plans)There are lots, so i've divided them up into sections. Ready? Yes, you are.Dont be like that. Come on. Here we go. SHOWS I HAVE SEEN AND VERY STRONGLY URGE YOU TO SEE.Tim Key - The SlutcrackerThis is really excellent, its always exciting to see someone "hit theirstride" and after having "enjoyed" Tims' previous show, i "bloody loved"this. Jokes disguised as poems, poems disguised as jokes. Odd films. Anaturally funny man. Wallop. It won the big comedy award in Edinburgh lastyear. (But then, Big Whup, we've all done that)The Pajama Men - The Last Stand to ReasonTwo men, dressed in Pyjamas (i've no idea what pajamas are) playbuggerloads of characters in an exhilerating flurry of physical andlinguistic silliness, that coalesces into a genuinely satisfying narrative.They won the big comedy award in Melbourne last year. (But then, Big Whup,we've all done that)Claudia O'Doherty - Monster of the Deep 3D.Claudia is a part of Pig Island who did "The Glass Boat" and "Simply Fancy"in the festival a few years ago and subsequently strutted all over, beinglauded and hailed and heralded. All of those. (By "all over" i mean,edinburgh, melbourne and sydney). This is her first solo show in which shetalks us through life in and, the eventual destruction of, her underwaterhomeland, a colony known as Aquaplex. It's very bloody silly and verybloody funny and it won the best comedy award at the Melbourne Fringe lastyear. (Big Whup, some of us weren't eligible)COMEDIANS WHO I HAVE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF AND AM EXCITED TO SEE MORE OF ANDA BIT FRUSTRATED I CANT SEE THEIR SHOWS.Smart Casual - Same Mother, Different Fathers. Saw them in the Comedy Zone last year, and though they were excellent,asked them to do a couple of spots on things, where they were excellent.have a sneaking suspicion they may be excellent. One of them wearssunglasses on stage. I mean. COME ON. Bloody Funny. Laura Davis - Ants Don't SleepSaw her in the Comedy Zone as well, but already liked her, from the selfpenned blurb on the flyer, cant remember it now. but enjoyed it very much.This is her first solo show.COMEDIANS WHOSE SHOWS I VERY MUCH ENJOYED LAST YEAR AND WOULD RECOMMEND ONTHE STRENGTH OF THAT ALONE. David Quirk - Neanderthal Brow. He had my favourite bit of material in last years festival, is a uniquevoice articulating thoughts i would never have. Rarely seems to bestraining for difference or weirdness or darkness and yet is all thosethings and also entirely human, engaging and funny. Celia Pacquola - Flying SolosHer first show was excellent, vulnerable, optmistic, charming, you know,all that stuff that pushes my buttons. She has brilliant and pretty uniquetiming and a conversaitonal intimacy whilst being very naturally funny. Felicity Ward - Reads from the Book of Moron. Felicity feels like something increasingly rare, someone interested inbeing really really funny, pretty much all the time and yet isn't shit.Quite the opposite, is really good. (really good being the opposite ofshit) This show sounds like a pretty exciting departure from her first showand it is bloody annoying i cant see it.Nick Sun - JoymeatSaw his show, two years ago i think. It was great. Exciting, intimidating,challenging, stupid, funny, great. Tim Vine - The Joke-amotiveI have always loved Tim Vine, he was incredibly kind and supportive to mewhen i first started doing gigs (and was 18 years old and terrible)butentirely aside from that, he is unremittingly brilliant. Entirely silly,utterly hillarious. But having seen him in spots for years, i watched lastyears full length show and my adoration reached a new high becase alongwith the stupid side achey hillarity there is such audacity and verve andstrutural skill in it as well. Bloody Magnificent. COMEDIANS I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF AND THINK ARE BRILLIANT, WHILST NOT HAVINGSEEN THIS CURRENT SHOW OF THEIRS. Josie Long - Be Honourable. Havent seen her for ages actually, but everytime i do, im suprised by howmuch i actually laugh. Charming, of course. Endearing, why yes. Gentle,certainly. Fucking Funny? surely not. erm. yup. that too. Jon Richardson - This Guy At Night. This is his first time to Melbourne from the UK, and in a similar way toDavid Quirk is delightful to watch, because you feel the deceptively uniquemind in the work. You feel the presence not just of jokes but of an entireworld view and you end up wanting to know what he thinks about EVERYTHING.Great. Maeve Higgins and Nick Coyle - A Rare SightNick is another component of the aforementioned wonder factory, Pig Island.Maeve is a bloody lovely talker and entirely delightful comedian. This showis their first EVER collaboration and is, to my mind, the comedicequivalent of Neil Hannon (Maeve) teaming up with Lady Gaga (Nick)Josh Thomas - SupriseYou should absolutely see Josh talking this year, i saw some gigs he did inJanuary and his new material was brilliant. He is a significantly betterlive stand up comedian than you may think if you've only seen him hawkingcoke. Properly properly good. Kitty Flannagan - Charming and Alarming. Havent seen her for years, but she is always excellent, a much bettercomedian than she thinks she is. which is always the best way round to be.Naturally, easily funny. I've never seen her do a solo show, and i'd verymuch like to. but i cant. i have birds to feed. so that's that.Tripod - Tripod Versus the Dragon. I fucking love Tripod. There. i said it. I was considering coming tomelbourne anyway in spite of having nothing to say and no reason to bethere, just to see this show, until i had a stern word with myself, recarbon footprint and ludicrous expenditure. But. I bet it's bloodywonderful. There we go, i could go on and on, Rod Quantock, Lawrence Mooney, JamieKilstein, The Concert, Donna and Damo. There will of course, also beabsolute shit loads of wonderful things i have never heard of. So, go onword of mouth. If you see a poster you like, take a chance on it. Seepeople you've never heard of, it is, as i have said before, your best hopefor having your mind blown. good luck. and have a lovely time. i shall be thinking of you, when im not out cruising in my hot rod orworking up a sweat on the bench press.