Does Melbournes comedy community have a diversity problem?
For years on end, room-runners have continued to seek the insurance of booking household TV and radio names for more easily bankable door (and bar) sales, resulting in a blizzard of line-ups that for the most-part are whiter than a Cyphochilus beetle. The producers of Ethnic City  a sporadically staged variety showcase since 2019 that highlights emerging local performers of colour  certainly think so. Its hard to disagree. Declaring a mantra to end Melbournes comedy diversity drought, Ethnic City attempts to both highlight the citys culturally diverse talents and ensure that the artists dont feel their inclusion on the bill is an act of tokenism. Imagine The Cocoa Butter Club with a stronger comedy-infused kick. Loading  Hosted (admittedly somewhat clumsily) by Sashi Perera and Randy Adeva, Ethnic City proudly flaunted that there are many gems to be discovered underneath the surface. Highlights came from Venezuelan (and recent nominee for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival) Ivan Aristeguieta and seasoned puppeteer Showko; the former eviscerating colloquialisms in the Australian vernacular and the latter providing an unforgettable insight into the original Hello Kitty, impressively controlled using her feet.