Gypsies Bar and Cafe, 107 Acland St

Formerly Kat Baloo, having changed its name so recently it still appears under the old name on the programs, Gypsies Bar and Café is at the very heart of Acland St. The comedy is happening in a rather quaint upstairs bar, featuring two shows by emerging young male standups.

James Moffett "In The Water Revolution" 7.45pm, Gypsies

A former street performer, James Moffett is a man who knows how to work an audience. Not only did he convince everyone in the room to buy a drink at the start of his act, and to sip virtually in unison every time he declared a drink break, he even got us to laugh at some of the same jokes twice when he re-performed them for latecomers. That takes a bit of panache.

The show itself is a high energy act delivered in a playful, some might say slightly manic, style. The Water Revolution of the title refers to a brief set of gags about the impact of the water crisis, his “intellectual jokes” as he called them, sandwiched into a set which otherwise aims, in Moffett’s words, to “blow your mind with utter filth”. It’s the kind of show that includes exuberantly performed impressions of bodily functions and unlikely sex acts. Moffett was a state finalist in both Triple J’s RAW Comedy and the Green Faces comedy competition and its easy to see why, as he’s entertaining to watch. Punters should come prepared for a bit of wrongness, however, as this routine went to some twisted spaces.

Nick Cody, "Real Men Drink Daiquiris" 9pm, Gypsies

Another former finalist of the Green Faces competition, twenty-one year old Nick Cody delivers a blokey brand of stand-up, fitting for a show with the words “real men” in the title, complete with jokes about sport and stupid mates, playstation references and a routine about genitals. It’s a larrikin style of comedy that at first seemed a bit familiar but once he got going, the show really took off.

Mostly using anecdotal and observational humour, but not above dropping a punchline gag now and then, Cody developed a strong rapport with the audience and didn’t let it slip. Occassionally he toyed with the boundaries of good taste but more often than not he got away with it, prompting a few winces but far more belly laughs. With natural charm and obvious joy in performing, Cody proved to be a real crowd pleaser and rose above the larrikin comic genre to produce a worthwhile show.

Speakeasy Ale House 192 Barkly Street

This little bar on Barkly St not only has an excellent selection of beers on tap, it is also host to two of the festival’s most unique and interesting shows, as well as a nightly showcase of festival artists (8.30pm every night).

Tony Lofley "Silencing the Lambs" 7.15 pm, Speakeasy

I don’t know where the title came from – possibly a reference to his New Zealand background – but Tony Lofley’s act fits right in at a place called the Speakeasy. It’s an intimate card show cabaret, with captivating close-up magic, interspersed with sardonic comedy. There’s even a couple of songs, crooned in Lofley’s oil smooth voice.

It’s a fantastic little show. Lofley’s illusions are impressive and he manipulates his audience as easily as he does the cards. With the air of a down-to-earth, almost reluctant, magician he comments wryly on the world of magic and deconstructs some basic tricks, while almost off-handedly whipping out ever more cunning illusions. He’ll draw attention to his misdirection and then fool you from another angle. It is first order sleight of hand and his finale is a mind blower.

Lofley’s been a magician for nine years, and a comedian for fourteen. His comedy has a dark bent to it and he deals it out with precise timing and a shady kind of charisma. This show is one definitely worth catching.

The Amazing Zig Zag Circus Sideshow 9.30 pm, Speakeasy

How far will one man and his wife go to entertain an audience? Find out at the Amazing Zig Zag Circus Sideshow! An unusual but worthy addition to the festival lineup, this show features a combination of physical feats, contortions and illusions basically designed to freak you out. From the get go people were squirming in their seats, gasping in shock and playing rock paper scissors to see who got to be the audience participant.

Comedy, you ask? Well there are gags too, and not just when the ebullient husband and wife sideshow team swallow something improbable. The humour employed varies from the kind of innocent cheese your Dad might try on you to stuff that would shock your mother, a combination which somehow sets a fitting tone for the physical acts which are the main focus. A show like this is more a visceral experience than a comedy act but the laughter plays an important role, both acting as a release and establishing the right frame of mind to see a man hanging an iron from his eyelids.

The Zig Zag Sideshow are a pair of remarkably committed and generous performers. I don’t know how they come back and do a demanding show like that every night but get in fast to see them before the festival closes, as it’s a unique experience.

Amigo’s Mexican Restaurant, 92a Acland Street

Viva la comedia! Centrally located in Acland Street, Amigo’s has three shows a night and also a range of tacos and other Mexican specialties just in case all that laughter makes you peckish.

Tom Ballard "Is What He Is" 7pm, upstairs at Amigo’s

At nineteen, a fairly recent addition to the Melbourne comedy scene, Tom probably hasn’t performed in too many Mexican restaurants before. You are more likely to hear him on Triple J on the weekends, where he’s a been a regular presenter since being a finalist in the RAW Comedy competition in 2006. This is his first solo show and it’s a cracker.

The show is based around Tom’s experiences coming out as gay to his family and friends in his home town Warrnambool. This is neither as angsty nor as camp as it sounds. In fact a lot of the humour comes from Tom’s very straight-forward approach to his subject matter. He is a talented story teller, drawing the audience in and feeding off them to build up to crescendos of laughter. His confident, almost brash, style is underscored by honesty and a certain vulnerability, making for a show is both hilarious and touching.

Gay comedy can get cliquey but Ballard’s act isn’t and I’d recommend it no matter what your personal persuasion. This is a show with broad appeal from a performer with a lot of talent and promise for the future.

Pure Pop Records, 221 Barkly Street, St Kilda

At first, a record store may seem like an odd place to go for a comedy show. In fact, Pure Pop Records is one of the best outfitted venues on the circuit, as the iconic St Kilda store regularly hosts live performances in a small beer garden out the back. Throughout the festival it is showing two lively comedy acts.

The Baby Seals "Attack of the B Grade Movie" 7.30pm, Pure Pop

B Movies have always been a great source of unintentional comedy and this show from improvisation troupe The Baby Seals aims to cash in on that. The set up is this – one member of the troupe plays a Hollywood hack writer struggling to come up with a script, the others act out the story being “written” though in reality they are making it up as they go along. To provide inspiration, and to prove that it’s all improvised, the “scriptwriter” requests cues (eg an object, an animal, a name) from the audience which the cast then have to incorporate into the increasingly zany performance. The writer can also change the direction of the “script” at any time – or put things up to audience vote – if things start going in too silly a direction. Which they do, frequently.

Words like “madcap” spring to mind. There’s been a few of these kinds of guided improvisation shows around lately and, in marketing speak, results may vary. Attack of the B Grade Movie was one of the better ones that I’ve seen. The device of having the writer character to act as compere and the structure of the B Movie storyline to guide the scenes gave the show a coherence that can become lost in improvised acts. The talented and inventive cast helped too. The tale that evolved out of their antics the night I went, about psychotic 60s folk singers brainwashing people with hidden messages in their songs, might not have been Oscar material but it was a lot of fun. Of course the great thing about this show is you can make it even more fun with your own wacky input. Start thinking of peculiar objects.

Herbie and the Coleslaws 8.45pm, Pure Pop

Canberra has also always been a source of great unintentional comedy but occassionally it turns up some genuine intentional comics as well. Hamish Hudson and Lizzy Rutten have the look of a comic duo about them even before they sing a note. He is large and hairy, she is small and bespectacled. Together they are the quirky and joyfully potty mouthed musical double act Herbie and the Coleslaws.

The music is acoustic, guitar duets or guitar and bongo, with a slightly country-ish feel, and lyrics liberally sprinkled with smut. They are enthusiastically silly, making use of visual gags and props as well as the running visual gag of their contrasting appearance. Incisive satire it ain’t but it’ll keep you chuckling and some songs, like Post Orgasm Blues, are true highlights. These two have an infectiously cheerful stage presence, so grab a beer, tap your feet and let them lure you into singing along. Oh yes, there will be singing along.