On this week’s issue of the Bugle, Andy is joined in person by Nish Kumar and Tom Ballard, as the three jump into this week’s news, from the 47th President’s birthday celebrations, to Elon Musk’s record breaking wealth. Plus UK news as Andy Burnham sets up for a leadership coup and Ugly shark news as scientists discovery a new ‘odd’ looking species. All this and more in issue 4383 of The Bugle!
Rod Quantock: Comedy Warrior Documentary
Was truly honoured to play a small part in this documentary about one of my comedy heroes, the inimitable Rod Quantock.
ROD QUANTOCK: COMEDY WARRIOR will be screening as the opening film at the Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival on the afternoon of Friday 26th June, following its premiere at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.It will subsequently have a theatrical release at the NOVA cinema in Melbourne starting on July 30th.
Comedy In The West 2026
Comedy in the West is BACK in 2026!!!!
TOM BALLARD hosts a brilliant line-up of Melbourne’s best comedians, bringing you the perfect night to make you laugh at the state of the world AND help power the West’s campaign to elect ELENA PEREYRA as our first Greens member for Footscray.
Featuring:
- TOM BALLARD (Tonightly, Deadloch)
- DAVE CALLAN (Rove Live, triple j)
- BRONWYN KUSS (RRR Breakfasters, The Weekly)
- JORDAN BARR (triple j, Spicks & Specks)
- TOMMY DASSALO (How To Do Everything, Filthy Casuals)
- BAHAA DABBAGH (MICF Comedy Zone 2026)
This will sell out – so book now!
Saturday May 16, 7.30pm at Kindred Studios at 3 Harris St Yarraville 3013.
BOOK NOW!
IRE/UK Tour 2026
Thanks to all my fellow Australians for coming out to the BE FUNNY CHALLENGE (IMPOSSIBLE) tour, you are all great and I hope you had fun haha.
Next up I am coming to lovely Ireland and the UK for festivals and club gigs and Work-In-Progresses and things of that nature. All the details below.
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IRELAND
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UK
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MONKEY BARREL COMEDY, EDINBURGH
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HYDE PARK BOOK CLUB, LEEDS
Work In Progress (with Marty Gleeson)
Sunday July 12th, 7pm
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THE GLITCH, LAMBETH, LONDON
Work In Progress
Tuesday July 14th, 7pm
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FRONT ROOM THEATRE, WESTON-SUPER-MARE
Work In Progress
Thursday July 16,th 7:30pm
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VENTNOR FRINGE
Be Funny Challenge (Impossible) – Work In Progress
Ingrams Yard, The Isle of Wight
Friday July 24th, 7pm
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THE BRIGHTON KOMEDIA, BRIGHTON
Edinburgh preview (with Lou Wall)
Sunday July 26th, 7:30pm
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OXFORD COMEDY FESTIVAL
Be Funny Challenge (Impossible)
Tuesday July 28th, 7:30pm
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EDINBURGH FRINGE 2026
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BOOK HERE!
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Photo by Sutherland Media
Serious Danger LIVE in Brisbane
Join the crew at Good Chat Comedy Club for a special LIVE podcast recording of ‘Serious Danger’!
“I’ve always considered the Greens to be a real, serious danger to Australia” – S. Morrison
ZOMG YOUR FAVOURITE (UNOFFICIAL) GREENS-FOCUSSED PODCAST IS RETURNING TO MEANJIN FOR ANOTHER LIVE SHOW!
Get excited (please) because dangerous radicals TOM BALLARD and producer THE GRIFFwill return to the GoodChat stage for another Greensland edition of Serious Danger LIVE.
(EMERALD MOONwould love to join but will be out of the country, being cool and Leftist and funnier than Tom.)
The country’s at war, the far right’s on the rise and the ALP’s still shithouse – so let’s talk/laugh/cry about it together, and figure out what we can do.
Featuring guest cohost MAX CHANDLER-MATHER(and more mates to be announced), this show will sell out – so BOOK NOW!
BOOK NOW!
BE FUNNY CHALLENGE (IMPOSSIBLE) | 2026 TOUR
As seen on Fisk, Deadloch, Tonightly, Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee and Deal Or No Deal (for some reason). As heard on podcast Serious Danger.
After a year away from touring, doing nothing but being very nice and uncontroversial, Australia’s Special Envoy For Comedy Tom Ballard returns in 2026 with a new show packed with heaps of jokes about all the stuff.
You should definitely come along. After all, the world is extremely normal right now and everyone’s getting along really well, so why don’t we all just get together and have a nice laugh about it, you know?
What’s the worst that could happen????
Nominee – Melbourne Comedy Festival Award 2023
Nominee – Best Comedy, Melbourne Fringe 2023
“One of the slickest hours of stand-up I’ve ever seen and packing a proper comedy punch.” Adam Hills
“Fierce and funny…Ballard is a dynamo – a whirling, toe-curling bundle of energy, who is as politically powerful as he is fantastically funny.” ★★★★½ Arts Hub
“A relentless whirl of opinion, silliness, and increasingly bad-taste jokes against those who most deserve it.” ★★★★½ Chortle [UK]
“Absolutely packed with elite gags” ★★★★ The Scotsman [UK]
“To call Ballard a comedian is being kind…..All Ballard has is a potty mouth, and being from the demographic their ABC loves.” hair stew, Daily Mail commenter
Who’s Afraid of a Joke? – Wheeler Centre Panel
A host of Melbourne International Comedy Festival comics gather to explore how comedy survives, thrives and occasionally lands a punch on authoritarianism.
The powerful often say they have a sense of humour. This turns out to be true – provided the joke is about someone else.
From public denunciations to legal action and intimidation, comedians across the world are increasingly required to work within narrowing spaces, where the right punchline at the expense of the wrong politician carries the risk of personal and professional consequences. When laughter is policed this closely, what does it reveal about the strength – and fragility – of power?
Join host Tom Ballard alongside leading comic voices Bahaa Dabbagh, Leon Filewood and Sam Jay for a timely conversation on the role and power of comedy in an age of rising authoritarianism.
This event was recorded on Saturday 28 March 2026 at The Wheeler Centre.
It was presented in partnership with Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Featured music is ‘Golden Hour’ by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist.
Content warning: This episode contains strong course language.
Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donate