Comedy Care Package

This year, Covid-19 has shut down the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the venues are empty, and the crowds, like the comedians, are stuck at home. The ABC is proud to announce they will be bringing the Festival into our homes and onto our screens with a special Comedy Care Package this Sunday 12th April at 8.20pm.

Hosted by comedy legend Denise Scott, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Comedy Care Package features some of the best local acts from the ABC's Festival broadcasts of the past few years, including Aaron Chen, Anne Edmonds, Becky Lucas, Cal Wilson, Dave Hughes, Frank Woodley, Kitty Flanagan, Nazeem Hussain, Steph Tisdell, Tom Gleeson, Urzila Carlson and many more.

Denise Scott says the program "proves that nothing can stop Australians laughing, even if we do have to do it into our elbows, sitting 1.5 meters apart. Hosting this outstanding line-up of comedians, in these extraordinarily difficult times, is the greatest honour of my career."

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world. The fact that this year's Festival couldn't go ahead was another huge blow to the arts industry in Australia as well as the comedians who were set to perform. It was also hugely disappointing for the comedy fans who look forward to the Festival each year.

So buckle up and bunker down, Comedy Care Package is set to be two hours of non-stop stand-up which will have all of Australia laughing together, even in the age of social distancing.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Comedy Care Package airs on Sunday April 12th at 8:20 PM on ABC.