Malthouse Theatre is delighted to announce the full line-up for this year’s Malthouse Comedy, including an electrifying blend of razor-sharp stand-up, chaotic sketch and hilarious clowning. The 10th anniversary program boasts celebrated festival award-winners, international cult favourites, a long-awaited solo debut from a certified comedy genius, and a poignant tribute to one of our comedy greats.
Hot Department, Kate Dolan, Zachary Ruane, Handful of Bugs, Gabbi Bolt, Hannah Camilleri, Alex Hines and Sarah Stafford join the previously announced comedic heavyweights Hannah Gadsby, Lou Wall, Rob Carlton, Garry Starr and Elf Lyons at Malthouse from 26 March – 19 April.
Adding to the bill will be a who’s who of comedy luminaries from across the festival coming together to celebrate the life of much-loved comedian and disability activist, Stella Young. Stella’s debut show, Tales From the Crip, won Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2014, months before her life was tragically cut short at just 32. She was adored across the Australian and international comedy scenes and her impact remains profound. This not-to-be-missed, monumental night of big laughs and heart, hosted by the ever-fabulous Reuben Kaye, will help raise funds for the documentary film, Stella: I Am Not Your Inspiration.
Returning to Malthouse are the hilariously warped minds of Hot Department’s Honor Wolff and Patrick Durnan Silva as they present amalgamation, an anthology of unhinged fan favourites and never before seen sketches. This brother and sister duo’s chaotic, psycho-surreal, camp and deeply funny comedy has built its own international cult-following. Having perfected comedy, as well as crying in front of a mirror, Honor and Patrick are now celebrating with their greatest show yet.
Multi-hyphenate comedy genius Zachary Ruane (Aunty Donna, Mish & Zach, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) is finally gifting the world his debut solo show, Comedy, which promises to be the most important and definitive comedic work of the 21st century. With an imagination of infinite depth, Zachary has been taking the comedy world by storm for over a decade. His fearless approach to the comedic arts has attracted 100+ collaborators, including Weird Al Yankovic, Shaun Micallef, Ed Helms, Alexei Toliopoulos and more. Join Zachary as he explores the history and future of comedy and his place within it as a generational talent.
Tune in for an all-new bizarre hour of buffoonery, HELLO MR. RADIO! from local bozos Handful of Bugs. YOWIE ZOWIE! Look who’s coming over the airwaves! It’s Fergus Mackerel! Hold onto his tasteful pony tail with both hands – the radio is a perilous place. Every Tuesday on 98.5 1⁄2, Fergus Mackerel dishes out his signature on air tomfoolery with surprise guests, free life coaching, tips to start your own cult, top 10 best pet disguises, live audience call-ins, extra-terrestrial celeb interviews and a carousel of brand new totally original never before heard classic tunes.
2025 Golden Gibbo Award-winner and 2026 Moosehead Recipient Kate Dolan will present her brand-new hour of absurdist, rapid fire, high energy stand-up in Trout, directed by Emma Holland. Join Dolan as she unspools the idea that in 2026 being a fish in the river might be nicer than a woman on land. Expect a loud woman on stage being loud.
Winner of Melbourne Fringe Festival 2025 Best Comedy Award, BIRDS, created and performed by Alex Hines and Sarah Stafford, will enjoy an encore run at Malthouse Comedy in 2026. Come for the tan, stay for the end of days. BYO beach towel. Shayna, a wealthy five time divorcee and Beverley, a mother of twelve boys, have come to the beach to escape their lives. Itty bitty bikinis, big hair and the radio blasting Smyle and Smacki-O, this is paradise. They relax in their deck chairs, chain smoking their way through conversations about the cutthroat world of tupperware and the unparalleled ingenuity of Holey Moley putt putt golf. Birds fall from the sky, the sea levels rise, the world is ending, but they’ve got their heads in the sand.
Rising star Gabbi Bolt returns with an hour of acerbic musical comedy dissecting success, failure, Ancient Rome, and the quiet tragedy of novelty mugs in Small Poppy. Poppies are tricky. Nurture them too much and they wilt; ignore them and they thrive until they don’t. Harvest too early? Disaster. Grow too tall? Well, we all know what happens to tall poppies.
. Following her critically acclaimed 2025 show What I’m Going For, Hannah Camilleri is bringing her signature style to the festival once more with another audacious hour, Dinner Hannah Show. Dinner-and-a-show is a new experience. Except, it’s not. It’s as old as time, as the hills! It’s been there, done that, and perhaps you prefer a show then dinner to debrief over a pasta or a little caffè corretto, but that’s not how the saying goes. So go to dinner, then see Hannah on a full belly. She’ll bring her latest and zany ideas involving sketch, character, clown, improv…whatever you like.
March 26 – April 19
malthousetheatre.com.au
