Sammy J and his puppet sidekick Randy have won this year’s Barry Award for the funniest show at the Melbourne comedy festival. The accolade for their new show, Ricketts Lane, comes two years after Sammy and puppeteer Heath McIvor were nominated for their show Sammy J In The Forest Of Dreams. Picking up his award, Sammy said: [...]

Five comedians have been shortlisted for the best newcomer in the Barry Awards. They are: Melinda Buttle, Telia Neville, Claudia O’Doherty, Ryan Withers and Joel Creasey. The award – which goes to an Australian act making their debut at the Melbourne comedy festival – will be handed out with the event’s other accolades late [...]

Were there a prize for most dedicated commitment to props at this festival, Claudia O’Doherty would win hands-down, with hours of arts-and-crafts graft going into the realisation of her escapist fantasy. The premise is that she is the sole surviving member of Aquaplex – a top-secret undersea colony where she was born and raised among brilliant scientists, [...]