I’m fairly new to Melbourne, so when I was asked to review the Weekend Trade show, I asked my friends ‘Trades Hall’ – does this mean it’s political’? The responses I got had me expecting an afternoon of diatribes about the subversive nature of political comedy, and I rocked up to the gig with some trepidation. Mental note: my friends are full of it.

Weekend Trade is part comedy, part discussion forum, part intimate shoot-the-breeze session. With beer. Operating in the Trades Hall Bar, a panel of experts (and comedians) discuss a topic from various angles, inviting audience responses and feedback, getting everyone engaged in what’s going on while – most importantly – being entertaining at the same time. The first Weekend Trade session was about Australian TV – why we don’t watch local product, why it’s full of reality shows, and what might make it better or more interesting; future sessions address things like work, technology, politics (yes, scary), faith and other topics.

Political? A better description might be ‘issues-based’; it’s about questions, not answers, about provoking thought (and laughter) rather than handing down Holy Writ. It’s not your average comedy show; it’s like being in the pub on a weekend afternoon with a bunch of friends, talking about ideas and having a good time while you do so.

It’s fun, it’s thought-provoking, it’s in a bar and it’s free. I reckon you can’t go wrong trotting along to at least one session of Weekend Trade. Politics be damned.