Advertisement

Comedian back for more festival magic

Comedy surrealist Michael Workman looks forward to returning to his hometown for the "masochists' convention" - the Perth International Comedy Festival.

Workman has won plaudits from Melbourne to Edinburgh since taking out the Perth and national finals of the Raw Comedy competition in 2009.

The former member of Perth goth-rock band Civilised will be among more than 50 acts at the festival in and around Mt Lawley's Astor Theatre from next week.

Big-name imports such as Bob Saget, Eddie Ifft, Frank Woodley and Jeff Dunham will be balanced with locals such as Sami Shah, Famous Sharron, Suns of Fred and Janelle Koenig.

Workman, now based in Sydney, will bring his new solo show War to Perth just two months after a "magical time" at Fringe World festival with his show Ave Loretta.

"Being from Perth and then going back to see how Perth changes during that time, it just turns into a little wonderland," he said.

The Perth stand-up scene was strong enough to support both Fringe World and the comedy festival, he said.

The festival runs from May 1-18 and Workman will perform from May 15-17.