THE Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on the hunt again for fresh funny faces to join the ranks of RAW Comedy, billed as Australia’s most prestigious open mic comedy competition in 2013. 

Professional comedians and comedy experts  are touring  the country to judge each heat, deciding who will go through to the big deal RAW Comedy Grand Final, where the top twelve finalists from around Australia against one another up on the main stage of the Melbourne Town Hall, 5pm, 14 April 2013.

There’s an enormous groundswell of interest  in comedy performance these days and Canberra is no exception to that.

Since 1996 the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been inviting fresh faces to the country’s comedy stages annually as part of RAW Comedy. It’s not for professionals, though that may come later. Entrants must have earned less than $500 from comedy and have a short set of jokes ready to go for their local heat.

It’s a chance (two chances, actually) Canberrans to  come along and support local entrants.

at one of the many heats throughout January to March.

The hosts for the heats will be Xavier Michelides, who has taken part in 5 Melbourne international Comedy festivals, 3 Melbourne Fringe Festivals and appeared on “ROVE,” while the second heat will be hosted by Daniel Townes, a regular at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Sydney Comedy Festival who has also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.

RAW Comedy Canberra heats, at Tilley’s Devine Café, Cnr Brigalow and Wattle Sts, Lyneham. Heat #1: Sat  Feb 23 at  8pm with  MC Xavier Michelides/. Heat #2: Sat  March 9 at  8pm with MC Daniel Townes. Tickets at the door.