In a shock to many, Noah Szto, last year’s winner of Best Newcomer at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, is back and he’s better than ever, with a brand-new show in a very different comedy genre.
While ‘Success In Everything’ was executed in a stand-up style format about Noah Szto’s upbringing, ethnicity and family, and was staged in a random karaoke bar that he cleverly orchestrated to be part of the experience (we miss you, Lychee Karaoke). Noah Szto’s 2025 show ‘Med School’ is about his trials and tribulations in a competitive and somewhat weird environment, pursuing a medical career. Except this time, Noah’s showcasing it in a multimedia musical frenzy.
That’s right. It’s already not fair enough that the man is genuinely funny and super smart, while blessed with chiselled, buff and handsome Clark Kent style visuals. But the audacity of this bitch human to be able to write (this show and all original songs), sing (are you kidding me), dance, do puppetry (what!?) and play instruments (the keyboard *and* melodica) is insane. Did I mention that he’s a doctor too? How dare he be this qualified and talented! He’s practically a parent’s wet dream of an ideal child!
The thing is, Noah never wanted to be a medical professional. His dreams instead were always creatively inclined. In a reflective journey through his most recent years in the field with strange tasks, losing sleep, and the rite of passage hazing that med students go through at one point or another, all while Szto was also going through an existential crisis… It’s a lot. Yet somehow, ‘Med School’ is seamlessly delivered every night by Noah Szto with Golden Retriever energy in a thoroughly entertaining, high octane, jazz hands waving, jaw dropping, eye opening, med school trauma dump.
Szto is a natural on stage and is at ease with captivating and maintaining his audience’s attention during every second that he’s in the room with us. Although, it can get overwhelming at times, especially with a few moments of hypnotic visuals that are accompanied with a-little-too-loud audio. But it’s by design. Made for you to feel the same stress that Szto experienced during his medical education misadventures, all the while questioning his life choices.
In a very kind love letter to fellow med folk and his journey thus far, ‘Med School’ succeeds in what Szto has set it out to do: Therapeutically address everything that he’s gone through in an hour-long nutshell with original songs, all with a different music genre styles, while also documenting an important moment in his lifetime. Oh, and to make people laugh!
As someone who also wear many hats and juggles multiple jobs (including this one), Noah Szto’s ‘Med School’ is very relatable. You don’t even have to be in the medical field to appreciate his show, but it helps. The night that I attended, there were many medical professionals in the venue, collectively eager to hear what Noah had to say. Everyone was in hysterics during the brief and intimate time we shared, all the while Szto emitted non-stop high energy, likened to an Energizer bunny. This show needs to tour. It’s that good. Plus, if ‘Med School’ doesn’t get nominated or win any awards at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, then the world truly has gone completely mad.
I related to ‘Med School’ through Szto being conflicted with what is a secure paid career, and his true heartfelt artistic aspirations. It turns out, you are not just one thing. You can be whatever you want to be, and you can be as many things as you like too. The world is only limited by the boundaries that you make for yourself.
Noah Szto has proven through talent, hard work, passion and dedication, that he doesn’t have to choose. He can be both a working doctor and thriving comedian. Not only is ‘Med School’ Noah Szto’s best work yet, but I’m keen to see what else he can (or can’t) do. Is there anything he can’t do? Selfishly, it’s also comforting to know, that even people who appear practically perfect and well put together like Szto can still have meltdowns.
Noah Szto‘s ‘Med School’ is currently playing at ACMI‘s Gandel Lab, as part of the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, until April 20th.
For more information, extra shows and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/med-school
https://comedy.com.au/tour/noah-szto
https://www.instagram.com/nozzystuff
Photography supplied.