There’s too much pressure to be funny when announcing new acts added to comedy festivals, so like a wax strip on a hairy chest, we’re just going rip it off and hope for the best. This year, the eighth annual Sydney Comedy Festival is treating us to SNL and Chappelle Show cast members (one of who is also totally Eddie Murphy’s brother) and penis performances.

Festival-goers will meet Charlie Murphy, who is most-famed as being one-time bodyguard to brother Eddie, star of the Chappelle Show (who hasn’t witnessed the genius of the Rick James sketch?), but has also gained fame in his own right as a top-billed international comedian and selling out shows. He’s joined by Saturday Night Live luminary Jim Breuer who was ranked in Comedy Central’s ‘100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time’ and is making his Australian debut.



Barry Morgan and his World of Organs will be charming audiences with his 70s short shorts and enthusiastic smile, while the Scots making it to our shores include Craig Hill and Daniel Sloss. For the musically inclined Axis of Awesome will serve up new songs and classic hits, while genital origami will once again see the light of day with the Puppetry of the Penis (‘The Aquarium’ was once explained to us with the aid of a full champagne glass and we still haven’t quite recovered or drunk champagne since). While other locals making us lol include Felicity Ward of recent Any Questions for Ben? fame and Choose Your Own Adventure star Lawrence Leung.

The Sydney Comedy Festival runs from Tuesday 24 April to Saturday 12 May. Second release tickets will be on sale from Thursday 9 February through the Sydney Comedy Festival website.

The line up so far:

Jim Breuer
Charlie Murphy
Barry Morgan & His Organ
Craig Hill
Daniel Sloss
Glenn Wool
Felicity Ward
Lawrence Leung
Puppetry of the Penis
Dead Cat Bounce
Axis of Awesome

WORDS: Anna Horan