Five popular comedians from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK have arrived in town to join the Magners International Comedy Festival to be held at the Caravelle Saigon in HCMC’s District 1 tonight at 8 p.m.

The festival, which is held for the second time, features Dana Alexander from Canada, John Robertson from Australia, Andre King from New Zealand, Lars Calleiou from Canada and Matthew Giffen from the UK.

Prior to the grand final show at the Caravelle Saigon, the artists also joined two shows at La Fenetre de Soleil on March 20 and Game On Saigon on March 21, and later they will head to Hanoi for a show at Standing Bar on March 23.

Matt Bennett from the organizing committee told the Daily that due to active response from local audiences at last year’s event, they have decided to bring more artists to the festival in 2017. Bennett expects to lure 1,000 spectators to the festival compared to 400 tickets sold last year.

Dana Alexander, from Edmonton, Canada, started stand-up when she was 18 and was voted ‘best discovery’ by Now Magazine in 2006. 

In 2011 she moved to London and the following year was nominated for best club comic in the Chortle Awards. 

Television work followed with appearances on Russell Howard’s Good News, Edinburgh Comedy Fest, and a featuring role on The Culture Show in 2013 for BBC2. Refreshing and fearless, Dana’s comedic style has been described as smart, irreverent and revolutionary.

Originally from New Zealand, Andre King is known for his stinging punchlines, well-crafted observations, razor sharp improvisation and hilarious impersonations. 

According to Mark Ritchie from The Stage UK, Andre is “one of New Zealand’s finest comedy exports… irresistibly funny!”

Funny in equal is Australian comic, John Robertson. 

Having garnered himself a cult following thanks to his dark humor and manic stunts, Robertson is presently co-host of Sky TV’s Videogame Nation, the UK’s only dedicated gaming TV show. 

However, he first came to public attention in 2003, when he went down to Australian Idol and faked a seizure on national television.

Lars Calleiou and Matthew Giffen are back for a second time at the comedic festival to show their love to the event.

Hailing from the UK but born to Colombian and Irish parents, Matthew Giffen is the star of BBC 3’s hit show The Fear in the UK. 

Having headlined theatres across Asia and Europe, his debut solo show Cocaine & Potatoes won Critics Choice Award at the Perth Fringe in 2015. 

Fast, frenetic and sometimes furious, Matthew leaves crowds begging for more.

Lars Calleiou has an impressive list of Canadian comedy credits. He has a comedy special airing on the Comedy Network, appearances at the Just for Laughs and Halifax Comedy Festivals and his comedy radio show was nominated for a 2011 Canadian Comedy Award. He’s been on CBC’s The Debaters, XM Radio and Shaw Cable.

Lars Calleiou was a finalist in the Seattle International Comedy Competition. He has travelled to Iraq and Kuwait twice to entertain U.S. servicemen and women, and has appeared at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland, the Boston Comedy Festival and played Brad Garrett’s comedy club at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. At the end of 2011 he toured with Joan Rivers for a second time.

Tickets to the Magners International Comedy Festival are priced at VND300,000 for advance tickets and VND400,000 at the site.

There is a VIP package at the price of VND1 million, inclusive of a free-flow of alcohol as well as food and drink prepared by the five-star chefs at the Caravelle Saigon.

Tickets are available at Caravelle Saigon in the Business Centre on level 2 or can be purchased online at www.magnersfestivalcaravelle.eventbrite.com.

The Magners International Comedy Festival is sponsored by Magners Irish Cider and presented by Magic Rock, Lighthouse Group Indochina, Saigon International Comedy, Diana and Brian Do Shows and Stand-Up Hanoi.

SGT