Sydney Comedy Festival Give Us Their 2016 Picks

The Sydney Comedy Festival program is once again overflowing with talent, so narrowing down your schedule can be a somewhat daunting process — one of the downfalls of being spoilt for choice.

Luckily for you, the fine folks over at SCF has put together some of their picks from the 2016 bill.

Here's some not-to-be-missed shows from this year's festival:

MATT OKINE – Matt Okine

Venue: Enmore Theatre

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Date: May 7, 9:30pm

2015 was a huge year for Matt Okine. The triple j breakfast host took out the Director's Choice Award. In 2016, Okine's back with his fifth show and you can be sure as hell that you won't wanna miss it.

NICK CODY – Come Get Some

Venue: The Sydney Comedy Store

Dates: 5 – 7 May, 8.15pm

Nick Cody is back with his sweet red beard and a brand new hour of hilarious stand-up. You like the sound of that? Well, COME GET SOME!

BECKY LUCAS - Baby

Venue: Wild Oats Wine Bar, Enmore Theatre

Dates: 10 – 15 May, 8:15pm (Sun 7:15pm)

Becky Lucas is a writer, comic and into twitter. She’s bringing a brand new show, It's going to be funny and exciting, however If you have a red rummy face and wraparound sunglasses don't come, it's probably not for you.

COREY WHITE – The Cane Toad Effect

Venue: Wild Oats Wine Bar, Enmore Theatre

Dates: 10 – 15 May, 9:30pm (Sun 8.30pm)

Venue: Sydney Town Hall

Dates: 23 — 24 April, 9.30pm

Best Newcomer at the 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and 2015 Sydney Comedy Festival, Corey White returns with his multi-award winning show, The Cane Toad Effect, in Sydney.

RHYS NICHOLSON – Bona Fide

Venue: Sydney Comedy Store

Dates: 12 – 14 May, 8.15pm

After a sold out season at Melbourne International Comedy Festival and receiving a nomination for the Barry Award, Rhys Nicholson brings his superb show new show Bona Fide to Sydney. This show's about lying....or is it? It is. Come please.

ZANZOOP – Feeble Minds

Venue: Factory Floor @ Factory

Dates: 10 – 15 May, 9:15pm (Sun 8:15pm)

Feeble Minds is an immersive sensory experience about a funny naked party-alien. Created by Sam Campbell. Best newcomers at the 2015 Sydney Comedy Festival

SAM CAMPBELL – Cambo’s On Top

Venue: Sydney Town Hall

Dates: 23 - 24 April, 8.15pm

WINNER BEST NEWCOMER 2015 Sydney Comedy Festival

The best comedian Sambo Cambo returns to Sydney to give everyone a big kiss on their brain. Sam does the street angel segment on triple J and can be pretty funny for you. Axolotl-lovers, dole-bludgers and perfect babes will enjoy this mess. The prophecy is true: CAMBO’S ON TOP!!!

GEN FRICKER – Yeah? Yeah!

Venue: Wild Oats Wine Bar, Enmore Theatre

Dates: 28 Apr – 1 May, 8:15pm (Sun 7:15pm)

Gen Fricker (triple j) cordially invites you to spend 50(ish) minutes in a room with her, so she can talk and play songs. Polite applause and laughter is permitted, if not encouraged.

UNDERCOVER WITH GEN FRICKER

Venue: Giant Dwarf

Dates: 22 Apr, 9.45pm

Australia's best musical acts, comedians and personalities will dig out their old mixtapes, and talk about the songs that soundtracked the most formative moments of their lives.

Hosted by musical weirdo Gen Fricker (Triple J), Under Cover is part-storytelling, part-musical salon, allowing audiences to get up close and personal with their faves, and their faves' faves.

Line-up: Wafia, Aunty Donna, Linda Marigliano, Michael Workman + Cameron James

RAY BADRAN - Junior

Venue: The Loft, Enmore

Dates: 10 – 15 May, 8:15pm (Sun 7:15pm)

When it comes to giving birth, Rose Badran nailed it. Her son was Ray Badran Jnr. Named after his father, Ray Badran Jnr the first. This is a brand new show that looks at being named after your father, a media shit-storm, and chocolate bars.

AUNTY DONNA – New Show

Venue: Giant Dwarf

Dates: 21 – 24 April, 8.15pm

Michael Jordan and the Looney Toons play basketball against aliens. Over 100 thousand Subscribers and 12 million + views on YouTube.

STEVE HUGHES

Venue: Enmore Theatre

Date: 2 July, 7pm

After 2 years recovering from a breakdown, broken heart and rehab. Hughes is lucky to be alive let alone funny. When your life turns to Hell there's always a few laughs in there somewhere. Hughes tells it like it is, confronting, thought provoking and always hilarious.

JOHN CRUCKSHANK

Venue: The Container, The Factory

Dates: 10 - 14 May, 8:15pm

Pleasure Avalanche is an hour of jokes and funny stories. An acute observer of the everyday and the every other day. If you can count, you can count on John Cruckshank making you laugh.

LUKE HEGGIE – Anythink is Possible

Venue: Wild Oats Wine Bar, Enmore Theatre

Dates: 3 – 8 May, 8:15pm (Sun 7:15pm) — No show Wed 4 May

Luke Heggie works on building sites and listens to philosophers sitting on eskies dispensing wisdom, stating facts, virtues, theories, and achievements. It irks him. Winner of the 2015 Sydney Comedy Festival Director's Choice Award. No lowbreeds please.

LUKE HEGGIE – You’re Not Special

Venue: Sydney Town Hall

Dates: 23 — 24 April, 7:00pm

Winner of the 2015 Sydney Comedy Festival Director's Choice award, for two special nights only, Luke Heggie is performing his award-winning show about dickheads he met at a barbecue one time. Everyone wants to believe they are special. They're not.

SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOWCASE

Venue: The Roundhouse, UNSW

Dates: 27 Apr, 7:30pm

It sells like hot cakes every year and its back again for 2016! The Showcase is set to bring the crème de la crème of the Festival right to your doorstep. Boasting a line-up of the best local and international comics plus some of the freshest emerging talents, this jam packed night of pure entertainment will leave you sore from belly laughs!

FROCKING HILARIOUS GALA

Venue: Enmore Theatre

Dates: 11 May, 7:30pm

A line-up of Australia’s funniest women – yes, all women! – to raise funds and support ActionAid’s work on women’s rights around the world. Judith Lucy will be on stage alongside a stellar line up of some of Australia’s funniest comics!

Andrew Maxwell (IRE) – Yo Contraire

Sydney Dates: 27 – 30 Apr, 7:30pm

Sydney Venue: Factory Theatre

Perth Venue: Perth Town Hall

Perth Dates: 4-7 May, 8:15pm

You might not know him but Andrew Maxwell is a comedic force to be reckoned with. One of the UK & Ireland’s most respected comics, host of his own BBC radio show, curator of his own comedy festival, Altitude, in the Austrian Alps come see why this guy has so many five star reviews.

Daniel Sloss (UK) – Dark

Sydney Venue: Enmore Theatre

Sydney Dates: 13 May, 9:15pm

Perth Venue: Regal Theatre

Perth Date: 6 May, 9:15pm

Smash-hit new show from Scotland’s internationally acclaimed and award-winning comedian, direct from massive 80+ date tour across Europe, UK and New York! Daniel’s sold out 8 consecutive Edinburgh Fringes, TV includes ‘Conan’ ‘Sunday Night at Palladium’, and his own BBC show.

Craig Hill (UK) – Playing with My Selfie!

Sydney Venue: The Comedy Store

Sydney Dates: 22 — 23 Apr, 7pm

Perth Venue: Perth Town Hall

Perth Dates: 28 – 30 Apr, 8:15pm

Get snap happy with Scotland’s favourite kilted treasure for an evening of gloriously camp, no-holds-barred comedy… live and unleashed!

Hot on the heels of last year’s hysterically funny, sold out tour, don’t miss the chance to see Craig flashing his kilt pins, striking a pose and calling for 'Lights, Camera... and, most definitely, Action!’

THE SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOWCASE

Venue: The Comedy Store

Dates: 21 Apr – 14 May, 9:30pm

GET A SNEAK PEEK OF THE FESTIVALS BRIGHTEST STARS DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST, MAKING YOU LAUGH! LOADS OF COMICS OF DIFFERENT STYLES, UNQUESTIONABLE QUALITY AND GUARANTEED VALUE FOR MONEY.

Discover your favourite comedian at a bargain price as they showcase material from their brand new 2016 Sydney Comedy Festival shows at Sydney's premier comedy venue.

BEST OF THE FEST SHOWCASE

Venue: The Factory Theatre

Dates: 21 Apr – 14 May, 7:45pm

Handpicked from the Sydney Comedy Festival, Best Of The Fest brings you the ultimate sneak peek of the festivals biggest and brightest international and local stars jam packed into a 1 hour show!

These a-peel-ing shows bring you the laughs four nights a week over the festival - we aren't monkeying about! Discover your new favourite comedian at a bargain price! With tickets from $15 you'll be going bananas!

Dom Irrera (USA) – Live!

Sydney Venue: The Comedy Store

Sydney Dates: 23 — 24 April

Perth Venue: Chorus Room, Regal Theatre

Perth Dates: 28 Apr – 1 May

The Godfather of Comedy. When Dom takes the stage, he does not simply get on it, he owns it! Dom delivers top-notch material and has one of the most natural styles in all of stand-up comedy.

As seen on Seinfeld, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and his cameo on The Big Lebowski.

Larry Dean (SCOTLAND) – Out Now

Sydney Venue: The Comedy Store

Sydney Dates: 24 Apr

Perth Venue: Mt Lawley Bowling Club

Perth Dates: 28 Apr –1 May

Larry was voted Best Newcomer 2015 and Scottish Comedian of the Year (2013) – he’s recently toured with Steven K Amos and Eddie Izzard – he’s an up’n’coming exciting storyteller and is debuting his new show ‘Out Now’ at this year’s Comedy Festivals (Melb/Syd/Perth).

Audiences will expect tales and tomfoolery from this personable Glaswegian and self-proclaimed ‘bender’. Larry presents his show about struggles with shame and stereotypes, ‘pride’ and prejudice...not the book.

Sarah Callaghan (UK) – Elephant

Sydney Venue: Factory Theatre

Sydney Dates: 30 Apr

Perth Venue: Mt Lawley Bowling Club

Perth Dates: 11 — 15 May

In 2014 Sarah Callaghan was named as ‘One To Watch’ by Time Out Magazine and is bringing her critically-acclaimed debut hour show Elephant to the Sydney and Perth Comedy Festivals. A confessional exploration of escape and ambition, Elephant received great reviews across the UK and Sarah has widely been heralded as an exciting new comedic voice. She’s an up’n’coming powerhouse to watch.

Tony Woods (USA) – Live!

Sydney Venue: Factory Theatre

Sydney Dates: 10 - 15 May

Perth Venue: Mt Lawley Bowling Club

Perth Dates: 4 — 8 May

Tony is a legendary smooth-talking headliner that has quickly become a Festival favourite – recognised as being one of the best and most engaging comedians in the business.