The Warehouse Comedy Festival - Season 1

First aired: 4/5/2011 10 episodes

Episodes

1. Hannah Gadsby: Kiss Me Quick, I'm Full of Jubes

Aired: 4/5/2011

Hannah Gadsby features in the first of the best and brightest of the comedy festival stand-ups on the circuit. She is one of the sharpest and funniest of Australian comedians who pour blood, sweat and tears into the circuit every year, then have their shows disappear at the end of the season. This series, introduced by Adam Hills, was filmed in an old sawtooth warehouse in Melbourne, and captures their brilliance, and laughs, before they are lost forever. Gadsby, whose set is called Kiss me Quick I'm Full of Jubes, has her trademark droll, deadpan, self-deprecating observations about herself and her family that has delighted audiences everywhere. A former winner of the Raw Comedy event, she is now also a regular on Adam Hills Live in Gordon Street Tonight on ABC1.

2. Tom Gleeson: Get It Into Ya!

Aired: 4/12/2011

Tom Gleeson features in the second part of the best and brightest of the comedy festival stand-ups on the circuit, filmed at the Warehouse Festival's sawtooth warehouse venue. Aptly named, the festival is an attempt to store the laughs and brilliance of the performers from the festival circuit, normally lost forever once the gigs are over. Gleeson has performed at all three major comedy festivals in Melbourne, Edinburgh and Montreal and the 'invite-only' Kilkenny Comedy Festival in Ireland. He has performed at every capital city in Australia, in London, Dublin, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Jakarta and also in Iraq and Afghanistan. He seems to be everywhere on television, from Good News Week, to The 7pm Project and Thank God You're Here and is the cool, calm funny man behind the desk on many a panel show doing the rounds. But it is performing on stage where he really shines.

3. Felicity Ward: Textbook Idiot

Aired: 4/19/2011

Award-winning stand-up comedian Felicity Ward shines a floodlight on the thoughts that should have stayed in her diary in this third episode of the smartest and brightest of the Melbourne comedy series, filmed at a pop-up venue in an old Collingwood sawtooth warehouse.

4. Tom Ballard: Is What He Is

Aired: 4/26/2011

Hilarious personal storytelling from comedian Tom Ballard at the Melbourne sawtooth warehouse venue that housed the Warehouse Comedy Festival. Ballard is one of the festival's brightest acts. He is gay, from Warrnambool and his gig is a candid account of coming to terms with his private bits. Titled 'Is What He Is', Ballard's act will make you laugh, think - and squirm. Winner of the Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival last year, Tom is one half of the triple j Breakfast show, Tom and Alex. He has made jokes at the Prime Minister's face on Good News Week and is also seen regularly on The 7pm Project.

5. Sammy J: 58Kgms of Pure Entertainment

Aired: 5/3/2011

Whip-thin comedian Sammy J brings a hilarious set of piano-based humour to the Warehouse Comedy Festival as he takes his place among the best and brightest of Australian comics.

6. Denise Scott: Number 26

Aired: 5/10/2011

Comic Denise Scott in the warehouse, talks about moving into Number 26, her first house, with husband John, his circus equipment, a king-sized futon sans base, a ventolin inhaler, a new baby and no savings.

7. Dave Thornton: A Different Type of Normal

Aired: 5/17/2011

Dave Thornton has been described as one of the hottest rising stars of Australian comedy, hence his inclusion in the Warehouse series, showcasing the best and brightest of the Melbourne International Comedy event. His engaging set, A Different Type of Normal is full of hilarious anecdotes of family life, mostly his own. He thought his family was normal, he says, until he turned 19. A hit at the world's biggest comedy festivals, including Edinburgh, Melbourne and the invitation-only Montreal Just for Laughs festival, Dave has also been on Talkin 'bout Your Generation, Rove and The 7pm Project. He recently played a straight acting role in ABC's Bed of Roses.

8. Sam Simmons: Fail

Aired: 5/24/2011

Sam Simmons, one of the world's most original and daring comics features his show Fail, at the warehouse showcase of Melbourne Comedy festival's brightest and funniest.

9. Charlie Pickering: Live at the Time of Recording

Aired: 5/31/2011

Former lawyer, political junkie and spokesman for Generation X, Charlie Pickering performs his high-octane and rapid-fire stand-up among the best of Australia's comedians in a disused Melbourne warehouse.

10. Josh Thomas: Surprise

Aired: 6/7/2011

Josh Thomas became the youngest comedian ever nominated for the prestigious Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with this show, Surprise.