If you’re looking for a laidback night out at a comedy show, HEADLINERS COMEDY GALA may be the Fringe show for you.

The audience was welcomed by MC, Luke Ryan, to start the night off, and the audience was clearly engaged within the opening minutes. This gave the opportunity for a variety of jokes to happen off the cuff.

The intimate venue of the Studio Underground allowed for easy interactions between the comics and the audience in order for the performance to flow. The comedy gala will vary depending on the audience in attendance, as the participation can alter the material performed. There was some fun camaraderie between the performers as they took digs at the other comedians during their individual sets with callbacks to previous jokes, this allowed for the gala to feel more seamless.

The line-up included a mix of local and eastern states talent to dish out their personal anecdotes and use their signature style of performing their sets. Andrew Hamilton used his unique experiences of going to prison in order to bring the laughs for people with a darker sense of humour. For the last act, Mickey J used backing music and physical comedy to perform his observations and stories on the stage, utilising the room’s space.

A more diverse line-up of comedians and a wider variety of joke topics would have improved the show, as it would have allowed for a wider demographic to enjoy the event. Although, this would be dependent on the specific night attended, as the line-up of  performers change night to night. Having attended the show on a calm Sunday evening, it is easy to imagine the energy and electricity of the event on a Friday or Saturday show.

The audience around were consistently laughing and clearly enjoying themselves throughout all of the comedians’ sets as the room never lulled into uncomfortable silence. ‘HEADLINERS COMEDY GALA’ is the perfect event if you love a casual comical night out!