Australia’s funniest head to Adelaide

Charlie PickeringFourteen of Australia’s funniest are heading to the 2014 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Arts Review takes at look at who and what you can expect in Adelaide over the next month.

Dave Hughes – Pointless
Garden of Unearthly Delights – Umbrella Revolution: 14 February – 16 March 2014
Dave Hughes has quit his media jobs on radio and The Project to tour full-time in 2014. Despite his relentless media schedule Dave never really left stand-up, jumping up on stage whenever he could find a moment. In 2012 he headed back to the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. And now, having made room in his schedule, Hughesy will perform at the Adelaide Fringe for the first time in five years, and will be dong a full run in the Garden of Unearthly Delights with his new solo show Pointless.

Wil Anderson – Wiluminati
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Vagabond: 3 – 16 March 2014
Wil Anderson is the biggest name in Australian comedy. His influence across TV, radio, podcasting and the Twittersphere may make him a household name, but it is stand-up comedy where Wil truly dominates. Almost 50,000 punters came out to see Wil live in 2013 – a combination of new converts and devoted fans who have followed Wil through his almost twenty years as a stand-up comedian. Each year Wil only gets better, sharpened by constant global touring, a sparkling intellect and an eagle eye for the hypocrisies, absurdities and the plain truths of modern life. His new show Wiluminati is in Adelaide for 2 weeks only.

Frank Woodley – Fool’s Gold
The Arts Theatre, Angus St, Adelaide: 18 – 23 February 2014
Frank Woodley is back with a brand new solo show, Fool’s Gold. One of our greatest comedic talents, Woodley is the master of classic comedy shtick with an astutely creative modern twist. Australia’s most visually compelling comedian’s natural habit is the stage; he is in-his-bones funny, and brings physicality and whimsical slapstick to life. Fool’s Gold is sure to give you that tingly feeling you’re left with after you’ve laughed like a crazy person.

Tom Gleeson – Quality
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Vagabond: 14 February – 2 March 2014
Tom Gleeson is Quality. He does quality shows for quality people. Already one of Australia’s favourite comedians, in 2013 Gleeson stole the show with his cult segment I Hate You, Change My Mind on Channel 10’s This Week Live and was revered by TV critics for his wicked take on the week’s events.  He can only do 2 weeks at this year’s Fringe – last year’s month long run was a sell-out.

Sam Simmons –  Death Of A Sails-Man
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Deluxe: 24 February – 16 March 2014
Home briefly from his base in LA and fresh from his debut on the comedy powerhouse Conan in the US, Sam is about to go off like a prawn in a hot sock.  Sam held down his own weekly show at the Virgil in Hollywood, inviting the cream of American indie comedy into his world. He took the stage in Montreal, Toronto, Chicago and in London with a sell out West End run. A true global comedian, Sam has now settled (as much as he ever does) in LA, dreaming up improbable ideas and saying them out loud to important people.

Hannah Gadsby – The Exhibitionist
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Deluxe: 22/23 February & 1/2 March 2014
Hannah is back at the Fringe with a brand new show, The Exhibitionist. Hannah’s shows are remarkable for their intellect, clarity and her capacity to turn heartbreaking true stories into soaring and hilarious monologues.  Hannah has a new TV show starting soon on the ABC and will only be in Adelaide for 4 nights.

Peter Helliar – Totes Grouseballs
The Arts Theatre, Angus St, Adelaide: 28 February – 2 March 2014
Peter is considered one of the biggest names in Australian comedy and his brand new stand-up show is Totes Amazeballs with added grouse. Pete is one of the country’s most versatile performers, a comedy club and festival stalwart, TV regular (The Project), movie and TV maker (I Love You Too/It’s a Date) and king of character comedy with his alter-ego Strauchanie. His media schedule is jam packed and he will be in Adelaide with Totes Grouseballs for one weekend only.

Cal Wilson –  It Could Have Been Me
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Deluxe: 14 – 23 February 2014
It Could Have Been Me is a new hour of stand-up and characters from Cal Wilson and her alter-egos, all live on stage. She has shown these character acting skills to the rest of the country on shows like Thank God You’re Here and The Wedge, alongside Rebel Wilson, and was team captain on the TV comedy hit of 2013, Slideshow.

Sarah Kendall – Touchdown
The Rhino Room, 13 Frome St, Adelaide: 11 – 15 March 2014
Sarah started her stand-up career in Australia before pulling up stumps and moving to London. Sarah returns to Australia with her brand new show, Touchdown. It is the true story of when Sarah joined her high school touch football team and become one-tenth of the greatest under-14’s team ever assembled.

Tom BallardUnAustralian(ish)
Garden of Unearthly Delights – Le Cascadeur: 14 February – 2 March 2014
Tom was the youngest every host of triple j breakfast show at the age of 20. After four years of his alarm going off as his contemporaries were coming home, he’s hung up the triple j headphones to return to his main squeeze – stand-up. UnAustralian(ish) is a joyous and personal show about a family holiday, history, bullshit, flags and blood.

Justin Hamilton – Johnny Loves Mary Forever 1994
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Spare Room: 3 – 16 March 2014
Adelaide’s Own last performed at the Fringe with his 5-star awarded trilogy of shows, Three Colours Hammo in 2008. In 2014 he returns with a brand new show Johnny Loves Mary Forever 1994.  Justin has carved out an incredibly successful career as a stand-up comedian, writer and director while maintaining his own voice within the Australian comedy scene. His stand-up shows have won everything from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Directors’ Award to the Adelaide Advertiser’s Best Show Award at the Fringe.

Denise Scott – Mother Bare
The Arts Theatre, Angus St, Adelaide: 18 – 23 February 2014
After filling tents in 2013 with Judith Lucy, Denise returns to the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2014 with a brand new solo show, Mother Bare.  Denise has never been one to shy away from sharing more than most, her life’s embarrassments have been laid bare for years and delivered laughs to appreciative audiences across the country.     A brilliant storyteller, Mother Bare will see Denise tackle a stand-up comedy show about motherhood.

Luke McGregor My Soul Mate is Out of My League
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Spare Room: 14 February – 2 March 2014
One of the most sought after new comedian in Australia, Luke McGregor, is making his Adelaide Fringe debut.  With his natural geeky charm, hilarious observations and self-deprecating humour, Luke’s debut solo show, My Soul Mate is Out of My League, played to sold-out houses and earned him the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s prestigious Best Newcomer Award.

Charlie Pickering
Garden of Unearthly Delights – The Vagabond: 15 & 16 March 2014
For two nights only Adelaide audiences have the rare chance to see the smart, quick-witted and inventive Charlie Pickering say all the things he can’t get away with on the telly!  Long before he was a household name Charlie Pickering spent ten years travelling the world as an award winning stand-up comedian.  Despite the pressures of hosting The Project Charlie has never left the stage behind, performing new material in the country’s best comedy clubs whenever he can.

The Adelaide Fringe runs from Friday 14 February to Sunday 16 March 2014. For more information, visit: www.adelaidefringe.com.au for details.

Image: Charlie Pickering