Katherine Phelps

We are living in a world where we are surrounded by assembly-line storytelling. Mainstream film and television rarely offer anything new. As such improvisational theatre has much to offer. You would be right in thinking that Melbourne has nearly as many types of improvisation as their are impro groups. Improvisation is much like circus in […]

For the most part I like staying focused on live performance. So much movie and television comedy is in the world, and many people are already reviewing it. The areas that don’t get as much love are comedy radio shows, podcasts, vodcasts, and community television. These are sometimes seen as lesser forms to their larger […]

One of my great pleasures in reviewing over the years is watching certain comedians grow as performers. My first glimpse of Liam Ryan was a year and a half ago at Melbourne Fringe. He split the stage time with another younger comedian and gave us a thirty minutes of what he could do. It was […]

Michael Workman is an artist and a comedian. Snobs may like some artists, but that doesn’t mean those artists are snobs. Workman has a magical ability to create vivid and intricate worlds with his words, drawings, and music. These worlds are rich in human emotion and compassion. If you enjoy being moved, as I do, […]

So many issues still need to be addressed when it comes to flattening our hierarchical culture and ensuring females are treated fairly and respectfully. Any number of comedians have sought to dig into this field of concern during the festival, both male and female. Justine “JMAC” McInerney’s show Disco Fanny does so much for women, […]

Jason Chong should be making television. He’s just this side of being a household name and should be in the ABC’s Warehouse Comedy Festival sometime in the near future. He’s certainly on my dream team list should I ever get a crack at a tv show. Chong has a winning personality and a goofy sense […]

Let’s talk about audiences. This year there are around 480 shows all competing for audiences. Everyone is feeling how thinly spread those punters are. Even when the competition is less fierce among comedians, you still have to compete with television, film, and computer games. So how do you convince people to turn up at your […]

If Jerry Seinfeld were a young German woman with glasses, he would be CJ Delling. She has a similar uncomplicated, good-natured, and laid back style. Comedy gold is found when a performer is both personable and intelligent. You don’t sit there thinking, isn’t Delling clever. Instead you are eager to enjoy the laughs from a […]

Currently in Australia, mainstream media, corporations, and the government are in step with one another. As such it is very hard to hear alternative views or get a complete picture on what is being done to our country. We need subversive voices. Only we need more than people sitting around (or standing up) saying “ain’t […]

After seeing a top comedian’s show my partner commented to me, I can see why you prefer shows by newer comedians. Some comedians over time will rely on a sure set of comic bits, rather than taking chances. They invest less of themselves and the performance can become lifeless. Performers just starting their careers, like […]