Hong Kong-based comedian Maitreyi Karanth will bring her new show MAITRIARCHY to Melbourne as part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, marking her Australian festival debut.
The performances will run from 7 to 19 April at Ballers Clubhouse in Melbourne’s CBD.
Karanth, a TEDx speaker and recipient of the 2025 AmCham Women of Influence Award for Leading Woman in Arts, Sports, and Leisure, will present a stand-up show built around stories from her life as a traveller, wife, mother and expatriate.
“I can’t wait to hit the stage and bring laughter and joy to everyone who needs a little extra cheer right in the new year,” Karanth said. “As a comedian, reaching new audiences is absolute bliss. Melbourne, watch out, I am here to deliver!”
The show follows a series of performances in Hong Kong, including 10 sold-out appearances at the city’s long-running TakeOut Comedy Club. Promotional material describes the performance as a mix of travel stories, reflections on turning fifty and anecdotes about family life.
Karanth began performing stand-up comedy seven years ago and has since become a regular presence in Hong Kong’s comedy circuit. She was the first woman in the city’s comedy community to stage a solo theatre show, filling a 400-seat venue.
Her career has included sold-out solo shows and support appearances for international comedians including Tom Cotter, Gina Yashere, Atul Khatri and Pau Ogata.
Karanth first performed in Australia in September 2025 when she appeared at Sydney’s Factory Theatre in Daughter From Another Otter alongside comedian Annie Louey as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival.
Promotional material for MAITRIARCHY describes the show as a midlife travel story featuring reflections on marriage, family road trips and life at fifty.
Outside comedy, Karanth leads philanthropic work through the Koma Karanth Foundation, which focuses on projects in the Philippines. According to organisers, the foundation has built 44 homes and runs a tutoring school, an old-age community centre and a program providing free lunches and transport for tribal children.
Tickets for MAITRIARCHY are now on sale for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival season.
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