The title of Tom Cashman’s 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Show – NPC (Nearly Proficient Comedian) – is a fun and whimsical play on words that keeps going and going throughout his show.
For those unaware, an NPC is usually a non-player character, someone who stands by the side of the road and asks you to kill a dragon while having no other dialogue.
Cashman, though, he’s got dialogue. A LOT of dialogue. And also more bar charts than you’d think.
Cashman speaks with the speed and eloquence of a well-educated squirrel on crack, which is a loving way of armchair diagnosing him with ADHD. His show, while clearly very well considered and scripted, sounds like the inside of my brain when I’m off my medication, flipping near-instantly from one thought to the next.
Through clever use of visuals – charts, images, a few slides dedicated purely to poking fun at one specific smartass audience member – Cashman pulls you through his history while you hold on for dear life. Often seen as mild in his role as Taskmaster Australia’s co-host, the real Cashman is anything but, regaling us with tales across the anxious-cocky spectrum, where sometimes he’s too cocky for his own good, and sometimes not quite as anxious as he should be.
It’s impressive – and a little upsetting – how relatable Cashman’s anecdotes are. My favourite is the passport story, an absolutely cringe-worthy (in a good way!) tale that hit so close to home it made me feel acute firsthand embarrassment. On the other hand, the show is closed out with a very unrelatable story, quite dark in its content, but lightly presented so it still felt fun. Of this year’s MICF run, this has been the only story to make me grimace and chuckle at the same time, which is high praise!
For those who already follow Cashman on social media, you will hear the flat white conspiracy again, but the retelling is so tight that I didn’t mind the second go around.
Overall, NPC is a really tight, incredibly fun show that somehow manages to have a moment for everyone.
Especially Brad. Happy April Fool’s to you, Brad.
