Make them laugh

In the wake of a glorious Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Just Gold celebrates a series of firsts and confirms he laughs best, he who laughs Greek.

Three nights; four sold out shows; 556 people laughing to tears; one #digitalfirst campaign marking a successful partnership for Just Gold, Leviathan Entertainment and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

From 19 to 21 April, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival presented a show unlike any other in the 32 years of the annual event: Σταντ Απ Κομεντι Ιν Γκρικ.

The first comedy show delivered in Greek, featuring the brilliant Lambros Fisfis struck a chord with the festival’s Greek speaking patrons, who flocked to see a hilarious dissection of modern Greek culture, from food rituals to clubbing to the sanctity of marriage.

Building up for the shows, Just Gold delivered a one of a kind digital campaign through Facebook & Instagram targeting Greek speaking audiences living in Melbourne. The campaign included a series of videos with the title ‘Ξέρεις Αυστραλέζικα;’ i.e. ‘Do you know Australian slang?’, toying with the idea of the language barrier, that is, with the exact thing that the presence of Greek speaking comedians in the MICF effectively challenged. The campaign was an instant hit among Greek speaking audiences in Australia and abroad.

The Greek comedians’ droll attempts in the videos to guess the meaning of Australian slang words resonated with the audience, familiarising Greek Australians with Fisfis and leading to the show’s success. The initial three shows were quickly sold out, urging the MICF to add a fourth late night show, to address demand, because Greeks are bound to not miss a chance to roast the most powerful icon in the Hellenic hierarchy: their mother.

For Just Gold, this was more than a successful campaign.

As digital partners of the show, we are very proud of the production’s successful run. For our partners, Σταντ Απ Κομεντι Ιν Γκρικ was the testing ground for a new aspirational venture: to bring more culturally and linguistically diverse comedy shows to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Or, as the great Stephen Sondheim eloquently put it in music:

“Something familiar/ Something peculiar/ Something for everyone/ Comedy Tonight”