'Rapid-fire jokes, biting social commentary and smart observational humour is what the newest crop of Australian comedians are delivering and that is what SBS 2 and Princess Pictures will be showcasing in a new ten part comedy series.'
I was so excited when I first heard that this series was being produced, and even more so when I read the line-up! Stand Up @ Bella Union is the first stand up comedy series to air on free-to-air television in quite a while (apart from ABC2's Warehouse Comedy Festival), and the first of its kind to showcase some very funny up and coming stand up comedians, as well as some favourites from TV and comedy festivals from around the country.
Filmed live over 5 hilarious nights at the iconic Bella Union, in the Trades Hall Melbourne, Stand Up @ Bella Union features talented and diverse stand up comedians on stage then goes behind the scenes with The Chaser’s Chas Licciardello to explore the stories behind the microphone.
The show stars Nazeem Hussein (Legally Brown), Dan Illic (Can of Worms, Hungry Beast), host of SBS 2’s Thursday FC Matt Okine, Winner of the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Ronny Chieng, 22 year old comedy wonder kid Joel Creasy, Melbourne International Comedy Festival favourite Geraldine Hickey, hilarious indigenous comedian Kevin Kropinyeri, and Egyptian born 2011 Raw Comedy Finalist Khaled Khalafalla to name a few. Almost 30 comedians take to the microphone in this informative and funny series.
Not only is the stand up comedy aspect of the series so entertaining , informative and down right funny, but the one-on-one interviews with Chas Licciardello really make this show stand up and stand out from the rest. I love learning how the minds of these comedians work, where they get their material, and how they got into the world of comedy in the first place. You get the feeling of knowing these comedians on a personal level which is something that isn't show on television much these days!
If you love discovering new comedians, love live stand-up comedy, or really just love to laugh, then I guarantee you'll enjoy each of the 10 episodes across this exciting new series. Massive kudos to SBS and Princess Pictures for producing this series and making it so unique and spectacular. I can only hope that we will see some more comedy live from Bella Union sometime soon! Below is a complete list of all of the comedians that appear across the series - some you will probably know, but most you've probably never even heard of. Discover the next best thing!
Episode 1 - Matt Okine, Sonia Di lorio, Michael Hing.
Episode 2 - Nazeem Hussain, Tien Tran, Aaron Chen, Nina Oyama.
Episode 3 - Aamer Rahman, Nick Sun, Kevin Lim.
Episode 4 - Ronny Chieng, Laura Davis, Demi Lardner.
Episode 5 - Joel Creasey, Andy Saunders, Neel Kolhatkar.
Episode 6 - Dan Ilic, Amos Gill, Nath Valvo, Nick Sun.
Episode 7 - Geraldine Hickey, Laura Davis, Mike Nayna.
Episode 8 - Kevin Kropinyeri, Tien Tran, Stella Young.
Episode 9 - Xavier Michelides, Zoe Coombes Marr, Demi Lardner.
Episode 10 - Khaled Khalafalla, Mayumi Nobetsu, Jason Chong, Dilruk Jayasinha.
★★★★☆
Stand Up @ Bella Union can be purchased on DVD NOW!