According to the festival's co-founder, John Pinder, the idea of holding an international comedy festival originated in the early 1980s.
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In more recent times, the theatre has been used as a venue for numerous acts during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, including local favourite Akmal Saleh and international acts, such as Mark Watson, Jason Byrne, Arj Barker & Megan Mullally among others.
Russ appeared at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2009 and in September of that year, she made a guest appearance in City Homicide alongside Daniel MacPherson, whom she cast in Neighbours in 1998 when he was 16 years old.
He was a member of the comedy troupe 'Enter The Datsun' with Charlie Pickering, Michael Chamberlin and Charlie Clausen, and featured in several Melbourne International Comedy Festivals.