Performances by Alessio Carducci, Elouise Eftos, Belal Hassoun, and Peter Josip
WOGlympics showcases a diaspora of ethnic comics providing a fun sampler of what the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has to offer
Reviewed by Matthaios Hortomaris
Gigi’s Kitchen and Bar, Carlton
Until 12th April, 2025
Tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/woglympics/
Type: Comedy Line-up, Stand Up
If You Liked: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Fat Pizza
3 STARS
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is back again for another year with Woglympics featuring a diaspora of ethnic comics. Or, if you have a last name like mine, they could also be described as a bunch of hectic wogs. Each comic gets 10-15 minutes to make an impact, which is just enough time to get an idea of what they can each offer, and to answer the question – which ethnicity is the funniest?
Alessio Carducci, our Italian competitor and MC for the night kicked off the Woglympic ceremony. Trying with some crowd interaction first, Carducci was unable to rile up the crowd enough to make an impression. Throughout the night, the audience was not the liveliest bunch, so I’m unsure if this just rattled our first comic and derailed his entire set, or if this was a true indication of his capabilities. With some relatable bits of speaking a broken second language, there were some slight giggles there, but overall not someone I would be eager to see a full hour of. It would have been best to have quickly moved on from some crowd work after the first few flat responses.
Elouise Eftos, representing Greece and Northern Macedonia was our second comic for the night. She is Australia’s First Attractive Comedian and oozed so much confidence on stage. Despite the lukewarm response from the crowd, Eftos kept to her own pace, with her onstage persona showing exactly why she was better than everyone else. This was an absolute joy to experience, with a deeper feminist commentary for those who like to not only have a laugh, but also something to talk about after the show. Eftos has her solo show at this year’s comedy festival for three nights only. See what Theatre Thoughts had to say about her solo show when we saw it at Adelaide Fringe earlier this year.
Belal Hassoun, the Lebanese entrant kept up with Eftos’ energy, and was the crowd favorite for the night. Being able to not only make fun of himself, he does so in a clever way that flips where you think the joke is going. Unfortunately Hassoun does not have his own show this year, however he would be an act to keep in mind to see what else he has to offer in future.
The show ended with a set by Peter Josip. Unfortunately Josip ended the night on a low. His jokes rarely landed, with nerves clearly getting the better of him. The skeleton of some decent gags were there, but the execution fell flat. While Josip has some decent online musings, maybe short form media seen on social media doesn’t always translate to sufficient stage presence.
If you find yourself in Melbourne during the comedy festival, I strongly recommend everyone to go see something. Whether or not this is the show to see in 2025, I’ll let you decide. It is a great way to get a taste tester for a few different comedians without completely committing to a full hour.
Book tickets to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025 here.
