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The Show of the Year 2017

When

Event Status

2017: it’s been thrilling; it’s been terrible; it’s been … a rocky ride.

At the Wheeler Centre’s annual Show of the Year, we’re bringing together a stellar line-up of comedians, musicians, writers and raconteurs to remember the year that was.

What happened in 2017? Well, President Donald Trump danced at the Inaugural Ball, Wonder Woman kicked arse and Prince Philip snipped his last ribbon. Elections in Kenya and the UK hogged headlines. Eurovision launched in Asia. The Mooch blazed bright and faded fast. Fighting continued in Syria and we were rocked by terror attacks in Libya, Afghanistan, England and Spain.

At home, dual-citizenship troubles spread through federal parliament like constitutional conjunctivitis. We said goodbye to Dr G Yunupingu and John Clarke. Flume won a Grammy, Nicole Kidman won an Emmy and the AFL Women’s League was a rip-roaring success.

2017 didn’t always treat us right (nuclear war threats, postal surveys, The Mummy) but it had its charming moments (BBC Dad, Beyoncé’s twins). The year crept up on us fast; let’s send it packing in style.

Featuring

Casey Bennetto

Casey Bennetto is an award-winning writer, musician and radio broadcaster. He wrote the musical KEATING!, hosts the program Superfluity on Melbourne’s 3RRR, and has appeared in places as diverse as ABCTV’s Spicks and Specks, the Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Festival of Dangerous... Read more

Isabel Angus

Isabel Angus is a multi-award winning writer and performer who has written and performed productions in a range of festivals around Australia. Isabel has been one half of theatrical comedy duo Isabel and Rachel, whose previous works include Isabel and Rachel’s EDGE!, which claimed various accola... Read more

Dave Arden

Dave Arden is a Kokatha, Gunditjmara singer and songman. He has performed for 32 years in the Australian music industry with the likes of Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Paul Kelly, Kutcha Edwards, Bart Willoughby, Shane Howard, Altogether Band, Koori Youth Band and Hard Times. He also performed in, was ... Read more

Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa

Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa is a first generation Australian Sikh spoken word artist, workshop facilitator, actor, producer and activist. Within a short period, Sukhjit has gone from being a participant in the Australian Poetry Slam Competition in 2014 to gracing the stage of Australia’s Got Talent in 201... Read more

Ladychoir

Newly-formed and all-star female acapella group Ladychoir comprises of six critically-acclaimed Australian singer-songwriters: Angie Hart, Emma Heeney, Tash Parker, Sophie Koh, Tess Hildebrand-Burke and Kirsty Joosten. The group’s diverse repertoire ranges from original songs (penned by the aw... Read more

Anthony Lehmann

Lehmo can be heard every weekday morning on Melbourne’s radio airwaves on GOLD 104.3 FM’s Jo and Lehmo breakfast show. The former accountant is seen every Friday night on The Project panel. He is no stranger to TV, having also appeared on Utopia, It’s A Date, A League of Their Own, Good News ... Read more

Lawrence Leung

Lawrence is an award winning stand-up comedian, screenwriter and documentary-maker. He created the ABC1 comedy shows Lawrence Leung’s Unbelievable and the AFI Award-nominated Choose Your Own Adventure and co-wrote and starred in ABC2’s action/comedy series Maximum Choppage. Recently, he wr... Read more

Ali Moore

Ali Moore has more than 25 years experience as a journalist and broadcaster, working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia’s Nine Network, and for the BBC’s global news network, based in Singapore. She has covered major news and current affairs events across the region... Read more

Angela Pippos

Angela is an award-winning journalist, presenter, documentary-maker, author and MC. Her most recent documentary, The Record, follows Australia’s dramatic Women’s T20 World Cup campaign and the audacious bid to fill the MCG for the final on International Women’s Day 2020. The two-part documenta... Read more

Michael Williams

Michael Williams is the Director of the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas in Melbourne. He has worked at the Wheeler Centre since inception in 2009, when he was hired as the Head of Programming before being appointed as Director in September 2011. He has hosted Blueprint for Living (2015â... Read more

Jamila Rizvi

Jamila Rizvi is Deputy Managing Director at Nine’s Future Women. She is a best-selling author for adults and children and an opinion columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Jamila hosts a number of podcasts, The Weekend Briefing, Anonymous Was A Woman and The Secret Life of Carers. Sh... Read more

Selina Jenkins

Selina Jenkins is an acclaimed musician, award winning cabaret artist and celebrated character comedian. She has performed extensively throughout Australia and the US, appeared on ABC Comedy Up Late and will be debuting her highly anticipated new solo show ‘Boobs’ at this year’s Melbourne Frin... Read more

Location

Athenaeum Theatre

188 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

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Acknowledgment of Country

The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional owners of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to the people of the Kulin Nation and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past and present.