Married For 24 Years

From Live At The Apollo 2010

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Canadian Mike Wilmot started life as stand-up comedian in 1995, becoming a regular on the UK circuit in 1998 and winning a Time Out comedy award in 2002.

He has appeared several times at Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, as well as in Ireland, Scandinavia, Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Bangkok, South Africa and Melbourne - where he won the comedy festival's Barry award in 2003.

CV

Set List
Live Review
Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Normally stand-up requires a suspension of disbelief, with the audience accepting the conceit that comics are just having a spontaneous conversation, not reciting well-rehearsed scripts.

The intriguing idea behind Set List is that the comedians ARE making this stuff up as they go along. I say ‘intriguing’ – for those performers taking part it must be positively terrifying. As they stand on stage, a series of topics flashes up on screen which they must make into material – whether it be ‘scorpion immunity’ or ‘hook hand versus no hand’

It’s comedy’s equivalent of the medieval rack – at best a stretch; at worst torture.

For the audience, the attracting is seeing how the comedians’ brains work, as host and co-devisor Paul Provenza – best known as director of The Aristocrats movie – is keen to point out. It’s about the process not the result.

And those results are predictably varied. Of the half-dozen acts who took part tonight, opener Damian Smith made it look easy, with fluid improvisation that found some funny in all the unlikely topics, setting an unrealistic expectation of the rest of the participants

Laura Hughes awkwardly embarked on the idea that she was an alien studying human culture, which didn’t really work but gave her a consistent get-out as she struggled with concepts such as ‘Blackface = fun’.

American Ian Bagg got laughs out his struggle, as he seemed genuinely stumped by most of the topics, but both Tom Agna and Dave Bloustein grabbed the game by the horns and produced some fine work. Bloustein was arguably sharper than Agna, who was frequently left grasping at straws, but his struggles to form on-topic gags eventually bore fruit, in the spirit of the game.

Set List – which has a different line-up each time – rewards a strong comedic persona, and that was most evident in closer Mike Wilmot, whose ‘drunk, irascible uncle’ shtick stood him in good stead as he seemingly lost patience with the preposterous suggestions, only to eventually form something resembling a routine out of them.

Because of its spur-of-the-moment nature, this is never going to be the funniest hour in the festival, but it’s certainly offering something different, especially if you like to see your comics sweat.

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Confident, relaxed and devastatingly funny. There's something of the old school about Mike, but that serves to make him all the more effective as an antidote to the young bucks still 'developing' their acts in front of an audience. He does get rather stuck in an oral/anal groove (so to speak...), but you won't find a funnier stand-up working today.

Nigel Lord, October 2006

I saw Mike open for Lewis Black on Sept 9 at Casino Rama. I'd never heard of him before but I haven't forgot his name since. My friend and I laughed until we cried more times than I could count. Black was good but Wilmot blew him away. Sorry Lou.

Jeff MacMurray Oct 19, October 2006

The funniest stand-up comedian in the world.

Graham Brechin - Aberdeen, October 2006

Saw him at Yuk Yuk's in Calgary and can honestly say I've never laughed so much in a two hour period

Mao, May 2006

Only seen Mike Wilmot once, as the last act on a Comedy Store night in Norwich. Easily funnier than the other three acts put together, Mike's gig stuck in my mind for its acute observations, brutal responses to the hecklers, and the fact that he clearly went on 20 minutes past the end of his slot but no-one dared tell him. Truly great.

Ben, April 2006

I saw Mike about five or six years ago at some Carling Sports Christmas thingy and I'm still laughing! Definitely the funniest standup I've ever seen - and I've seen a lot.

Vaun Richards, February 2006

Saw Mike for the first time at the Ealing Comedy Festival (17 July 05) and he was simply brilliant. His non-stop stream of winning material laid the audience waste. Standing ovation at the end. I have never seen him before but really want to see him again Brian Leveson 18.07.05

rian Leveson, July 2005

I saw him supporting Rich Hall. He was absolutely awful, unoriginal and childish. Not funny one bit. The audience was uneasy and he really didn t help Rich Hall's hilarious set at all. I couldn't wait for him to get off the stage. Tom W 27.05.05 That's it Tom ....I've talked to Rich Hall and he thinks you're a dink too. Mike Wilmot 25.07.05

Tom W

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