Shaolin Punk » Theatre

Melbourne Fringe 2010 officially launched!

Benjamin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:45:41 +0000

Yes, the Fringe is go! You can now find information on all the wonderful shows and events at the official Melbourne Fringe Festival web site - including, of course, McGuffin and Dungeon Crawl. Tickets are on sale now, so get in while you can!

McGuffin and Dungeon Crawl update

Benjamin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:42:44 +0000

Rehearsals for McGuffin, our new hybrid impro theatre project, are underway, so let me publicly welcome aboard our fantastic cast: Chris Broadstock, Sean Fabri, Gina Morley and Kate O'Neill. It's a very exciting project, I hope to see you there in September! Watch this space for more details over the next two months.

We're also preparing for not one, but two return seasons of the Comedy Festival hit Dungeon Crawl - first in Melbourne for the Fringe Festival, then another we hope to confirm very shortly. So it's all impro, all the time here at Shaolin Punk for the forseeable future - though it's not your parent's impro, that's for sure...

State of the Punk: June 2008

Benjamin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:32:28 +0000

It's been a while since our last update, so we figure it's time to fill you in on the latest doings of Shaolin Punk and its creative director, Ben McKenzie.

This Sunday saw the launch of Melbourne's newest comedy event, the Anarchist Guild Social Committee, at the Bella Union bar at Trades Hall. The brainchild of host Nick Caddaye, the AGSC is a monthly live sketch comedy show. Shaolin Punk's Ben McKenzie is assistant producer and also a writer/performer, alongside the main cast of Andrew McClelland, Tegan Higginbotham, Dave Bushell, Celia Pacquola, Richard McKenzie and Courteney Hocking. The first meeting of the AGSC was a huge success, so don't miss its return on July 20!

Shaolin Punk has two new shows coming up in the next few months. First up, as part of National Science Week, Ben McKenzie premieres his new one-man comedy science lecture, A (Very) Brief History of Time, to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Stephen Hawking's influential book. Then, for the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Shaolin Punk presents Set List, an improvised musical performance devised and performed by Dan Walmsley and Karin Muiznieks and featuring Ben McKenzie. Set List will premiere in three afternoon sessions at the Bella Union bar at Trades Hall as part of the Fringe @ Trades programme. Watch this space for more details soon!

And finally, with the departure of Janelle Koenig for the UK, Ben McKenzie has taken on the role of artistic director of Melbourne improvised comedy troupe The Crew. The group's final performance of Impro Sundae at Bar Open, before they move to another venue, is this Sunday, June 22. Don't miss it!

Last days for the Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour and OBE!

Benjamin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:22:56 +0000

The Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour finishes this week, and after some of the great reviews we've had from The Groggy Squirrel and UK comedy site Chortle, our last two nights are sure to be a great success. So come on down! Tonight, Ben McKenzie, Bec Hill and Sue-Ann Post will be your guides, and on Friday, Ben and Bec will instead be joined by Kent Valentine.

It's the last days too for A Record or an OBE, the what if play about hit 70s British comedy group The Goodies. OBE plays this Saturday and Sunday, the 5th and 6th of April, and then every night next week until the 13th of April, with no show on Monday. Remember Tuesday April 8th is your last chance for a cheap $10 ticket!

For those of you unable to come to the show due to its early evening timeslot at 6:30 PM, there are plans for a late show at 11 PM on Friday, April 11th; watch this space for details!

Special ticket deals at Comedy @ Trades

Benjamin — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:13:19 +0000

There are a whole lot of shows on at Comedy @ Trades, with great acts including Hound of the Baskervilles, Bec Hill, Andrew McClelland, Courtney Hocking, Adam Vincent, Cath Jamieson, Die Roten Punkte... It's a big list! And if you want to see more than one, you can get special cheap tickets.

The Daily Treble is perfect if you're looking for a big night of comedy - it gets you cheaper tickets for three shows on the one night! (A Record or an OBE, at half an hour early in the evening, serves as a great starter for a Daily Treble.) Or, if you'd rather spread it out, the Tight Five (named for term comedians use to describe a five minute spot of top notch material) gets tickets for five different shows for any Wednesday or Thursday night - at the cheapest price! Both deals are a great way to enjoy the unique atmosphere of Trades Hall during the Festival.

Of course, you can get dirt cheap tickets to OBE with either deal: $12 for a Daily Treble ticket, and only $10 for a Tight Five.