Anthony McCormack, Phoebe O'Brien & Stephen Porter: Shut Your Juicy Mouth (MICF)

First up on this three-act bill at Loop was Phoebe O'Brien, who kicked things off with some prop-assisted awkwardness. O'Brien is disarmingly charming as she guides us through the slapdash drawings she's made in Microsoft Paint and laminated at Officeworks. She amasses plenty of goodwill by stumbling through audience participation laced with her natural funniness and more than a little of that most reliable of comic tools — well-practised self-deprecation.

Stephen Porter is at his best when he's specific and drawing from his own life. He sometimes makes vague remarks about the state of the world and the media, which don't really go anywhere new. His bits about idolising SBS World News presenter Lee Lin Chin and the thrills of discovering late-night European films as a pubescent boy land best. His set certainly has its moments, but it seems like he could have pulled together a tighter 15 minutes for a big-league platform like the MICF.

Anthony McCormack comes across as an amiable fella as he shares some longer-form stories, which don't always pay off but are worth the ride nonetheless. His stories about confronting documentaries depicting walrus sex and his young niece getting overly attached to a unicorn pinata named Sweetpea are especially well-heeled.

The show ends with a "where are they now?" video epilogue, explaining the weird and wonderful fates that await the evening's performers (mostly involving ironic, premature deaths). It's a neat cadence, pulling together an occasionally uneven but largely enjoyable show.

Anthony McCormack, Phoebe O'Brien and Stephen Porter present Shut Your Juicy Mouth, until 1 Apr at Loop Bar, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.