The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is at a crossroads. Its administration could continue to prioritise commercial aims and grow as an international showcase of mainstream performance comedy. On the other hand it could restructure and re-engage with participants in an effort to encourage risk-taking and invite audiences to feel part of something bigger than a corporate entertainment package. If it does not adopt the latter approach, the festival will lose its reputation as a breeding ground for edgy comedy writing and performance and will become a one-stop-shop for shows designed to attract the greatest box-office returns.

The first Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) took place in 1987. A new generation of writers and performers was emerging but there were few opportunities for them in radio or television. FM radio was not yet commercial. The shows that drove the comedy boom in commercial television, Comedy Company and Fast Forward, drew on the talent pool being developed onstage in Melbourne, but they weren’t established until the following year. In 1987 the people who would become FM radio stars and would make top-rating TV shows were working for peanuts in sweaty little theatre restaurants all over the inner north; trying out material, collaborating in different combinations, experimenting with characters and voices, and taking risks in front of local audiences. The festival showcased this talent and put the electronic media on notice.