The lights go down, the 800 person (*wink*) crowd is getting restless in the cozy venue room, and the show is about to begin. Casey Filips is in the back partying away, but first, a disinterested doorman with a clipboard comes out to settle us down.
Armed with our actual names and occupations, The Doorman has a list and he’s checking it twice. He’s gonna find out who’s been naughty and whose going backstage to party! You’d be surprised the sort of contraband which people try to sneak into a Comedy Festival show on a Saturday night. Well, this part is only half a joke, it is Melbourne after all. Point is, if anyone is gonna be doing lines, it’s gonna be a condition of entry and the doorman gets first dibs!
Welcome to ‘What a Character‘, the follow up to Casey‘s spectacular debut show Virtuoso. Winner of various awards from Fringe Festivals all across Australia, Casey Filips is proving to be one of the hottest new comedians stunning the nation! His mixture of character and crowd work with lightning quick improvisational skills, make his sell out shows a must-see.
I was lucky to have seen Virtuoso at the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and it just may have been my favourite show of that year. An audition tape playing out live and in living colour, as the most jaw dropping performer you’ve ever witnessed, gives it his all to win the role of a lifetime. With a little help from the audience of course!
Well with Filips’ new show, What a Character gives festival goers even more. More laughs, more improv, more surprises and many more characters! You’re never quite sure what you’re going to get next and Casey Filips‘ performances vary so much from one night to the next, it might just be worth going to see this show more than once! With much of the night being Casey making hilarity up on the spot, ready to run with whatever it is the current audience gives him to play with.
I’ve already talked a little about The Doorman‘s antics but suffice to say he’s either your gatekeeper to the party of a lifetime or ready to throw your ass out of the room! Armed with our names, professions and whether we paid half price for a ticket or not! It was my first time being given the bum’s rush from a comedy show, and I loved it. Another one off the bucket list!
Next up was the Secret Agent who’s ready to seduce or open fire on the audience in equal measure. Danger isn’t just his middle name, it’s his default setting! You thought that just because you were involved in the previous character’s bit, you were safe? Think again. That was just to lull you into a false sense of safety!
Casey also performs as an exotically spontaneous audio engineer, looking for the perfect soundscape and as guardian of the Pearly Gates, “Thaint” Peter. Casey Filips doesn’t just gatekeep the greatest party on the planet but also decides the destination of our eternal soul! These are just the characters he played on the night I saw him perform, and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he flipped a coin to determine who he was going to come out as next. That’s just how unpredictable What a Character is as a comedy show.
There are some scripted parts, there’s some pre-recorded video moments which allow for scene transitions as well. But the rest of the night really is Casey Filips engaging with the audience and seeing where the reactions take things. If you’re the shy boring type? Casey will transmute that awkwardness into huge laughs. If you’re a smartass who doesn’t want to answer a simple question properly? Casey will turn things around like he had it planned the whole time.
But it’s still an affable and friendly affair from beginning to end. I’ve seen many comedy shows where I dread being singled out of the crowd but What a Character like Virtuoso makes stars of the audience time and time again. Everyone has a great experience and by the end, everyone is thrilled to have been a part of the performance.
Casey Filips continues to surprise, reinvent and push boundaries. This isn’t a sketch show, it isn’t stand up, it’s a story which builds as the night goes on, and nobody knows what will happen next. Not Casey and not his lighting and sound guy trying to keep up! I had an absolute blast at Casey Filips’ What a Character, and once again, highly recommend anybody looking for something off the wall to gives this show a gander!
Casey Filips‘ What a Character is currently playing at Trades Hall – Music Room as part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 19.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/casey-filips-what-a-character
https://www.caseyfilips.com
https://www.instagram.com/caseyfilips
Photography supplied.