Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

When the comedy circuit was going through its MeToo moment in 2020, a parody Twitter account called Male Comedian Apologises offered a biting satirical take on the scandal.

Six years on, and ‘male comedians apologises’ is slowly becoming an actual genre of stand-up show. While some audiences will, understandably, never forgive, some might welcome a redemption if it involves genuine changes in attitude and behaviour. Some audiences don’t even seem to care at all – Louis CK is enjoying a pretty successful career for a comic who only ever seemed to pay lip-service to addressing the hurt he caused.

So, then, to George Rigden. In the latter part of the 2010s, he was enjoying a reasonable career for an up-and-coming comedian on the UK circuit, picking up decent reviews and decent bookings.  

Then, in 2019, he  had to admit being ‘an abusive, manipulative boyfriend and a lecherous, harassing creep’ who had been inappropriately messaging women, citing incidents that happened a couple of years previously. Needless to say the work dried up after that, and he fled to the US to try to give his career a fresh start.

It is only now, it  seems, that Rigden is properly facing up to his issues, stating that he has been sober for 18 months and accepting that boozing has been a big factor in his awful conduct. This show, Self-Inflicted, is the public-facing part of his attempts to come to terms with what he was like and why.

I’m no therapist but it feels as if he’s still processing a lot of this, and is not yet ready to package it into a coherent comedy hour. For example, he notably recoils with a self-disgusted ‘eurgh’ when he forces himself to describe  much of his behaviour. An apt response, but not the funniest one.

There is also fine line between understanding your behaviour and excusing it. While Rigden seems on the right path, in the context of his show, his explanations of drink, grief, toxic father issues and autism (aka the ‘Gregg Wallace defence’) can sometimes be heard as mitigations. Whether down to neurodiversity or shame, he rarely  looks the audience in the eye - and we hear very little about the consequences of the comic’s actions on anyone but himself. 

Rigden understands his story ‘is not pretty’ and knows many will emerge from this hour of comedy-as-therapy still thinking him a terrible human being. ‘I just want you to understand,’ he urges.

I think we probably do. He appears sincere and on the track to  understanding himself, too. In the context of the show, however, these reflective moments that abandon laughs don’t sit tonally well with dumb jaunty songs about his friend Tom’s big dick. A closing number, also called Self-Inflicted, is more sorrowful and shows Rigden to be a far better guitarist than most musical comedians. 

You would have to be hard-hearted not to wish Rigden the best in his recovery after hearing the efforts he’s making. But it feels like the show should come a little further down the path of fixing himself.

• George Rigden: Self-Inflicted is on at the Motley Wherehouse at 10pm Thursday to Sunday until April 19, and 7.30pm on Fridays at the Limerick Arms, South Melbourne.

Review date: 7 Apr 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival