Rollicking Roadshow
Check in for a chuckle at Darwin Entertainment Centre and Araluen Arts Centre, as a comical cohort from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) rolls into the Territory.
By Tierney Seccull
THE MICF ROADSHOW this month embarked on an Aussie-wide tour to deliver to regional stages some of the most exciting comedians getting around. And although, technically, some parts are covered by plane, some by bus, we’re in for a good time.
With a line-up of beloved comedy royalty alongside the freshest sensations from the Festival, this hilarious show guarantees nationwide laughs. Bron Lewis features on the bill, and says she’s excited about returning to the NT.
“I haven’t been to Darwin for I think maybe 10 years now, and I haven’t been to Alice for maybe 15 years, and I loved it when I was there, I’m so excited that I’ve been given the opportunity to go back,” she says.
“I haven’t done comedy in the Territory, but I think it’s going to be right up my alley!”
Mother-of-three Lewis came to comedy later in life, in her mid-30s, and MICF was instrumental in her success today. She co-won the 2022 RAW Comedy Comp before going on to score a nom as Best Newcomer in 2023, and says the Festival on the whole is an exciting prospect for many a budding comedian and their original material.
“The open mic scene is a very terrifying place, where there seems to be no rules … I went into the open mic scene with heaps of hopes it was going to be really fun, but it’s actually brutal,” she laughs.
“You’re surrounded by blokes in their early 20s who live with their mum, and all the jokes are really crass – not all of them, I’m generalising here – but there were no mums there when I was doing it, and so it wasn’t a great place to really foster what I was trying to do.
“The Festival is so amazing at seeking new voices – not that my voice is particularly unique – but in the open mic scene where you are starting out, it is scary. When I tried out for RAW … I just saw it as an opportunity to have a gig that wasn’t an open mic.”
Well, that worked out pretty well, wouldn’t you say?
Sharing stories of motherhood that resonate with so many, much like the NT’s own Amy Hetherington whom Lewis admires a whole bunch (they regularly slide into each other’s DMs!) MICF recognises there are so many different voices and perspectives that are worthy of having a platform to share.
So round up your mates, your dates, your fam, and settle in for a night of storytelling and humour. Get giggly with it!
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow
WHEN WED 15 MAY | 7.30PM
AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE
COST $55 | $43 MEMB/CONC/STUD
INFO araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au
WHEN THU 16 MAY | 8PM
AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
COST $45 | $40 MEMB/CONC
INFO yourcentre.com.au
Pictured: Bron Lewis
