AUSTRALIAN comedy veteran Dave O’Neil is taking a break from the Melbourne Comedy Festival to return to Swan Hill for the Jockey Club’s MRI Luncheon on Friday April 4.
“It’s going to be a fun day, we can hang out and win some money on the horses and it’ll all be over by five, so we’ll all be home for dinner,” O’Neil said.
He was last in town in August for the Melbourne Comedy Festival at the Town Hall and enjoyed the crowd.
“I had a fantastic time with the other comedians and the audience had good variety,” he said.
“We had farmers, tradies, nurses and teachers, younger and older people, and I talk to the crowd a bit in my set and it was good fun with them.
“I’ll be on fire this time because I’ll be in the middle of the comedy festival so it’s going to be a fun time.
“This time I’m emceeing so I’ll be doing a bit of audience interaction, a bit of comedy, talking about parenting and how the 80s are better, and picking on any young folks in the crowd.
“Young guys expect me to pick on your haircut.”
His last visit to Swan Hill left a good impression off the stage as well.
“The bakery I went to – I can’t remember which one it was, sorry – had a good coffee scroll and a good sausage roll,” he said.
“That’s the measure of a good bakery, whether they can do a good cake and sausage roll, and the Swan Hill one was good.”
Luncheon attendees will be treated to a two-course smorgasbord, a five-hour drinks package and entertainment.
Alongside O’Neil’s comedy set, Amazeo the Magician and Illusionist will perform a stage show and Warren Davies will deliver his Unbreakable Farmer talk.
Swan Hill Jockey Club chief executive Aaron Garvie said the event is a chance for people to have a great day while contributing to the Mallee MRI Appeal.
“It’s rare you get to have such an action-packed day with so much entertainment, plus the race day itself for such a great cause,” he said.
The club hopes to raise $30,000 for the Mallee MRI Appeal from ticket sales to the event.
“It’s a very important appeal for Swan Hill because as many people have said before, we need an MRI here.
“It’s a great service that we should have, and it shouldn’t be up to Swan Hill to find the money to pay for it, so any opportunity we have to help, we’ll take it.”
The luncheon package is $200 per person or $1800 for a table of 10, and the majority each ticket sale will be donated to the Mallee MRI Appeal.
Mr Garvie recommends that people get their tickets as early as possible to avoid missing out.
Tickets are available at swanhill.tickets.countryracing.com.au.
