Personal revolutionary Maitreyi Karanth discusses midlife reinvention, the funny side of everyday moments and why humour doesn’t always translate between one culture and another.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What’s Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/maitriarchy/

Themes: life / reinvention / everyday humour

Lawyer, comedian and former Warner Bros executive Nick Abrahams discusses truth, career accidents and why the funniest insights are the ones everyone in the audience recognises.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/the-accidental-lawyer/

Themes: recognition / truth / palatable insight

Torres Strait Islander, ex-lawyer and Moose Award winner Leon Filewood discusses misdirection, empathy and how the best jokes often lead audiences somewhere they never expected to go.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/holding-space/

Themes: truth / misdirection / empathy

Musical theatre duo Carol Whitfield and Tayla Thomas discuss love-hate relationships, macho producers and how life can become funnier when you stop trying to control it.Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/the-maiden-and-the-matron-unhinged/

Themes: everyday clowning / life / self-laughter

Bubble artiste and children’s entertainer Dr Hubble discusses comic timing, the power of surprise and the challenge of creating family entertainment that engages both children and adults.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

 www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/dr-hubble-s-brilliant-bubbles/

Themes: timing / surprise / kids & family

Mentalist and magician Tristan McLindon discusses magic tricks, audience connection and the rare moments when an entire room laughs together for the same reason.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

 www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/great-question/

Themes: connection / room consensus / mentalism

Standup provocateur from New York Glace Chase discusses dark humour, transgression and the guilty pleasure of hearing the wrong thing said out loud.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/glace-s-big-things/

Themes: wrongness / dark comedy / gasp laughter

Self-confessed Malaysian nepo-baby and cross-cultural commentator Shamaine Othman discusses truth, identity and creating a space where audiences can laugh about intimate matters they can’t openly talk about.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/who-s-that-girl/

Themes: truth / taboo / recognition

Joy-spreading musical starlet Sarah Bowers discusses happiness, optimism and the underrated skill of making people smile.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/sarahtonin/

Themes: joy / mood / shared lightness

British comedian and domestic abuse survivor James Barr discusses comedy as survival, protest and transforming painful experience into collective catharsis.

Presented by George Stamkoski — Roving Eye Reporter

Part of the What's Funny? series recorded backstage at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/james-barr-sorry-i-hurt-your-son-said-my-ex-to-my-mum/

Themes: survival / protest / catharsis