Liza Dezfouli, Journalist

"The character's an exaggerated version of myself. I play in the local footy club, play games and shit, do things people do, listen to a whole pile of music."

That we care by the end of it that three of them died prematurely says much about the show – I came away feeling I’d gotten a real sense of these people’s personalities. Top, top stuff.

From a festival director’s international perspective, Melbourne is the best city in the world for independent theatre makers, asserted Sheehy. We already know it, but we still like to hear it.

"I have more of an understanding of what drives people to seek and experience humour."

The conversation comprised a vigorous and inspired debate with each panellist agreeing on how privileged we were to be having it in the first place.

This concert was clearly plenty of fun for those involved.

Bennett occasionally overstates the case by repeating himself and sometimes his English is sloppy ('a fire began to start') but these are quibbles.

Surprisingly different, unscripted show by two newbies to MICF, circus performer Debra Batten and dancer Catherine Magill.

She successfully builds a real feeling of safety in the space, given that inviting audience members to share guilty secrets could easily bring up some unpleasant moments.

Wax brings her comic style, astringent, cynical and disrespectful, to her own story of a common yet unvoiced affliction and she's still as funny as all hell.

Lucy Guerin’s Conversation Piece is a delight, engaging audiences with depth, whimsy, revelation and humour. Top stuff.

An intelligent and astonishing dance work.