John Bailey
John Bailey is a contributor to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Wild, bright-eyed and fiery: Musical unleashes the real Miles Franklin
The woman who wrote My Brilliant Career was as “paradoxical as a platypus”.
- John Bailey
Latest
Simon Brodkin showered Sepp Blatter with banknotes. Then he set his sights on Trump
The British comedian still enjoys playing characters, just don’t call his stunts “pranks”.
- John Bailey
From Lil’ Kim to Lucy Guerin: your guide to Melbourne’s Rising Festival
The winter arts festival leans into music this year, and stages the inaugural Australian Dance Biennale.
- John Bailey
The best heckles, riskiest jokes and strangest moments from this year’s comedy festival
After a month packed with shows, our reviewers have come together to pick out the best (and most memorable) moments from this year’s comedy festival.
- Donna Demaio, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Lefa Singleton Norton, Mikey Cahill, Nell Geraets, Sonia Nair, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar
It’s the final weekend of the comedy festival. Here’s what not to miss
From a performer who is definitely one to watch to some chaotic sketches, see how our reviewers rate the picks of the festival before it ends on Sunday.
- Donna Demaio, Cassidy Knowlton, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Karl Quinn, Lefa Singleton Norton, Nell Geraets, Rose Lu, Sonia Nair, Thuy On, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar
Chaos, lad culture and a show that seemed destined to fail: This festival has it all
From improv steered by children to a comedian at the top of her game, this year’s festival is in full swing. Keep an eye on our ever-growing list of reviews.
- Cassidy Knowlton, Gemma Grant, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Karl Quinn, Mikey Cahill, Sonia Nair, Thuy On, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar
The best, the weirdest, and the most unmissable of the comedy festival so far
From weirdly good questions to a clever use of PowerPoint, this year’s comedy festival is in full swing. Keep an eye on our ever-growing list of reviews here.
- Donna Demaio, Cameron Woodhead, Gemma Grant, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Karl Quinn, Lefa Singleton Norton, Mikey Cahill, Nell Geraets, Rose Lu, Sonia Nair, Thuy On, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar
I can just withdraw from the discourse: Why Josie Long ditched social media
The British comedian talks weather, politics and Australia’s “weird prehistoric animals” ahead of her show at this year’s Comedy Festival.
- John Bailey
Forget the Famous Five – did Enid Blyton invent the multiverse?
The writer’s back catalogue is like AI fiction a century before such a thing was imaginable.
- John Bailey
Four decades, 40 defining moments in the life of Melbourne’s Comedy Festival
As the Melbourne International Comedy Festival turns 40, we count down 40 moments that have shaped the famous event.
- John Bailey