IKEA flat-pack furniture is the Sydney Comedy Festival's next big hit

The Sydney Comedy Festival has passed the halfway mark: this is what’s on during week three.
Two comedians go head-to-head in the ultimate IKEA flat-pack challenge on Friday.
BridgeClimb, the inaugural Comedy Crawl and Swamplesque are also on this week’s lineup

They say you can tell a lot about a person by how they handle IKEA flat-pack furniture, and this week, two comedians will put it all on the line in the flat-pack thunderdome. Combining a race with a game-show, it’s just one of the unexpected gems appearing on the lineup during week three of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Here are some of the week’s highlights, and more on that intriguing furniture-building frenzy.

What’s on during week three of the Sydney Comedy Festival

1. IKEA Wars

We’ve all been there, losing our cool over Swedish flat-packs that don’t look anywhere near as complicated as they end up being. The illustrated instruction manuals, with their little smiling people, suggest construction will be simple and maybe even fun. Now that’s funny. Having gone down a storm at the Adelaide Fringe, IKEA Wars will be in Sydney for one night only this week.

Two brave comedians will step into the flat-pack arena (Riverside Theatres in Parramatta), to be the first to construct furniture within an hour. Sounds challenging enough already, but they’ll also have sabotage at their disposal—meaning they’re both under threat from the other. The road to glory isn’t only lined with IKEA-crafted pitfalls. Whoever can build the furniture and survive sabotage will be crowned the (unofficial) Champion of Sweden. It’s an hour of chaotic comedy that you don’t want to miss.

Where: Lennox Theatre, Corner Market &, 353 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150
When: Friday, May 9 from 8pm.
Price: From $25 per person.

2. Climb with a Comedian

Climbing the Harbour Bridge is a must-do activity while visiting Sydney, and for the next two weeks it’s going to be even more memorable than usual. BridgeClimb couldn’t help getting in on the Comedy Fest action, and we don’t blame them. Five comedians will lead Summit Climbs, regaling climbers with hilarious anecdotes and side-splitting jokes along the way. The perfect distraction if the height turns your stomach.

Unlike normal climbs, groups are limited to just 13 climbers so it’s an extra intimate adventure above the city. Kicking climbs off this week are David Correos (Tuesday, May 6), Celine (not the real-deal Dion, unfortunately) from Titanique the Musical (Thursday, May 8) and Bob Downe (Friday, May 9).

As well as a memorable 2.5-hour climb above the skyline, climbers will walk away with a commemorative certificate of achievement, BridgeClimb cap and a signed photo with the comedian host. Count us in!

Where: BridgeClimb, 3 Cumberland Street, The Rocks NSW 2000.
When: All comedy climbs start at 9:10am. Available dates are: Tuesday, May 6; Thursday, May 8; Friday, May 9; Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15.
Price: $349 (adults only).

3. Comedy Crawl

A newbie for the 20th anniversary Comedy Festival, the Comedy Crawl combines the best of both worlds: banter and bars. This bumper evening of comedy will take you to four shows, each at a different bar. Winding through laneways in the CBD, your charismatic guide will lead you from stylish speakeasy to cosy corner booth and beyond. Pick up a cocktail or two along the way as you explore the hidden gems. You may just walk away with a new favourite bar or comedian!

Where: The meeting place is revealed in an email 24 hours before the event.
When: Tuesday, May 6 (5:25pm, 5:30pm, 6:05pm and 6:10pm) and Saturday, May 10 (1:25pm, 1:30pm, 2:05pm and 2:10pm).
Price: $50 per person. Tickets have sold out but join the waitlist for availability.

A woman in a tunnel — *Catch Breaking: The Musical at week three of the Sydney Comedy Festival. (Image supplied).*

4. Breaking: The Musical

It was the story that took the world by storm last summer, but how did it happen? Breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris last year, in the hopes that it would attract a younger, social media-centric audience. And that it did. Australia’s entry practically broke the internet and birthed a new icon who defied the odds in the male-dominated sport. Raygun’s fame swiftly took a turn and, in an unrelated decision, breaking was removed from the Olympics.

Sydney-based comic Stephanie Broadbridge, who trained as a jazz singer, brings her musical talents to the act which follows the Australian Olympian’s journey to Paris. Having experienced her own viral moment and backlash in 2023, Steph brings a unique understanding of what it means to be a woman in the spotlight. She performs a vulnerable but downright hilarious version of the real-life events that unfolded across the internet.

Tickets have mostly sold out, but some are still available for Saturday’s 9:30pm show. Two more shows have also been added on Saturday, May 24 at 7pm and 9pm.

Where: Manning Bar, Level 2, Manning House, Sydney University, Camperdown NSW 2050.
When: Wednesday, May 7 (6:30pm), Thursday, May 8 (6:30pm); Friday, May 9 (6:30pm); Saturday, May 10 (6:30pm & 9:30pm).
Price: $35 per person.

5. Swamplesque

Everyone’s favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody (I mean, there can’t be many out there) smashes box office records at Edinburgh Fringe last year, and it’s back for one last season in Sydney. The award-winning, critically acclaimed show features (Lord) Farquaad, Gingey and Shrek among its cast members. It’s a surreal, one-of-a-kind burlesque show that’ll transport you Far Far Away for an hour of silliness.

Where: Riverside Theatre, Corner Market &, 353 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150.
When: Saturday, May 10 at 6:45pm.
Price: $65-$85 per person.

6. Guy Montgomery

You may recognise Guy from TV’s Have You Been Paying Attention or Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee, or the podcast The Worst Idea of All Time that he co-hosts with Tim Batt. The award-winning Kiwi comedian and improviser brings his new stand-up show to Sydney Comedy Festival this week, as part of his national tour.

He’s warmed up at Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, so the jokes have been tried, tested and fine-tuned in time for his Sydney shows. Speaking about his latest tour, Guy shared: “People often wonder what I get up to when I’m not relaying my observations about the world to them and I’m finally ready to talk. The truth is whenever I’m not relaying my observations, I am out in the community, harvesting a fresh crop of bespoke observations. That’s what this show is about”.

Tickets for Thursday and Saturday have already sold out so don’t hang around.

Where: Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042.
When: Thursday, May 8 (7:15pm); Friday, May 9 (7:15pm); Saturday, May 10 (7:15pm) and Sunday, May 11 (8:15pm).
Price: $45 per person.