Hive City Legacy - Naarm Chapter review

Explaining what Hot Brown Honey does isn’t easy. For over a decade, they have presented feminist productions that span dance, comedy, circus, spoken word, and music, all while confronting racism, colonialism, and gender inequality with clarity and power. Their Hive City Legacy project has BIPOC femmes in the arts join forces to create original work that reflects the unique talents of each city’s cast.

Following earlier seasons in London and Dublin, the third instalment - Hive City Legacy: Naarm Chapter - arrives in Melbourne. Here, seven local BIPOC femme artists share their stories and voices in a performance grounded in genuine collaboration and mutual support.

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett review

Bernie Dieter has taken over North Melbourne's Meat Market with her spectacularly electric Club Kabarett. It's an evening to forget our burdens and worries, shed inhibitions, and indulge in the joy and defiance being presented on stage. Before the show begins, the artists mingle through the crowd, giving a taste of the cheeky and saucy humour that awaits us. And once it kicks off, it is a non-stop ride of thrills and exhilarating chaos.

As our MC, Dieter seduces us into a night of revelry and debauchery. Her flirtatious, loud personality connects with everyone in the audience, and you can be sure that if she calls upon you, there is no willpower on Earth strong enough where you will be able to decline her invitation. But she takes care of us; she is genuinely happy to have us in the room and to perform for us. Her cover of Martha Wainwright's "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole" has us all holding our breath, captivated by her powerful vocals and potent message she conveys regarding the state of women's rights today.

Everything That Happened at Number 68 review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Having lived on my own for the last decade, the memories of share housing are far behind me. While I don’t miss it at all, it's a rite of passage that most of us go through. In Everything That Happened at Number 68, Nick Robertson unpacks his own rite of passage through living with strangers who gradually become friends, and the random and messy antics that linger in your heart and mind for years.

There’s a cosy and relaxed ambience as you walk into the venue, some chilled Sunday afternoon tunes playing (even if it's a Wednesday evening), and Robertson already on stage, offering us cushions, blankets, tea, and lozenges. It’s fittingly homely. Once we’re settled in, he begins to recount the fateful day he interviewed for a room in a share house, and everything that unfolded in the years that followed.

Non Stop review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Circus Oz returns to the Melbourne Town Hall for the first time in over 20 years, and they’re not holding anything back. Their latest show, Non Stop, lives up to its name from the instant it begins, kicking off with a breathtaking trapeze act that sets the tone for the rest of the production: high-energy and brimming with spirit. There’s no downtime, just sheer talent.

David Trappes absolutely dazzles with a jaw-dropping bowling ball juggling and balancing routine that has the crowd both gasping and cheering. The ensemble scenes are equally thrilling, especially the finale’s flying trapeze, which features a glorious group sequence. But Non Stop isn’t all about acrobatics, it also finds room for some superb clowning. Cleverly choreographed stumbles, perfectly timed trips, and joyful physical chaos prove that circus doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel or flirt with danger to be entertaining. Sometimes, a stumble and a grin are more than enough. And there's plenty here.

I'll Allow It review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Re-reading the description of Bronwyn Kuss' new stand-up show I'll Allow It, I realise it has absolutely nothing to do with the material she presents. Was it written before she knew what it was going to be about? Quite possibly. Even the title doesn’t tie into anything she covers. Does it matter? Not in the slightest. If you’re looking for a show that delivers on its blurb, you're better off elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a show that brings the laughs, then you’re in the best place to be.

This is my second year watching Kuss, and while she leaned heavily into dry and sarcastic in 2024, in 2025, she feels lighter - still dry, still sarcastic but there's a bit more of a playfulness to her. Her content roams widely, but most of it can be grouped into the three great certainties of life: family, death and board games. Each of these themes is covered through a variety of approaches and reflections, and are not given a specific length of time, but rather she weaves between them.

Dysfunctional Family Jukebox review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

You know you’re having the quintessential Melbourne Comedy Festival experience when the performer has to scrounge for extra seats for a sold-out crowd, the tech fails, and while she’s troubleshooting it live, she has to keep the audience entertained with off-the-cuff banter. But as Freddie Arthur points out, this could actually be part of Dysfunctional Family Jukebox. It’s not - obviously - but we roll with it, because it’s fun to watch. A little bit of schadenfreude? Sure. But it’s a comedy festival, you’ve got to find the funny where you can.
 
Arthur has plenty of it in her hour-long set as she explores the skeletons in her family's closet through a tragicomic lens. With highly descriptive language, she introduces us to her homophobic mother, abusive father and a cousin who has a penchant for public masturbation. Not exactly go-to material for stand-up, but Arthur displays brilliant skill in finding the humour in the bleak without downplaying the darkness, and most importantly, it gives her audience permission to laugh. She finds a great pace, with considered pauses that give heavier moments the space they deserve without leaving their weight on the audience.

90 Day Comedian review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Dalin Oliver is a 90-day comedian. That’s how long his visa to Australia lasts before he heads back home to South Africa. But until then, he’s touring the country, sharing his observations about Australia while reflecting on his upbringing and life back home. It's an hour of some great storytelling, brilliant banter and plenty of laughter.

The room is overwhelmingly South African, which is not surprising, but somehow still surprising. Where have they all come from? But Dalin makes everyone feel welcome from the opening moments of 90 Day of Comedian, whether they’ve come for a taste of home or are just here for a good laugh. It helps immensely when the things he says South Africans are known for, like incredible self belief in being able to do anything with no experience, is actually supported - with evidence - by those in the audience.