Charlie Zangel presents Cockatiel

Charlie Zangel spreads his wings in debut show Cockatiel.

Charlie Zangel never felt like a magpie. Which is probably a good thing, because they’re all full of shit. From Catholic boy’s school all the way to Grindr, Cockatiel is a hilarious and heartfelt snapshot of the life of a queer kid from Melbourne trying to find his flock. Bending genre and gender, stand-up and song, award-winning artist Charlie Zangel makes his solo debut at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival in a whip-smart and relatable coming-of-age tale from drama kid to drama queen.

Cockatiel will run from 24 March – 5 April at Comedy Republic - Melbourne’s newest mainstage theatre on Bourke Street owned by Rhys Nicholson and Kyran Wheatley that will enjoy a brimming debut festival season showcasing exciting new Australian comedy.

Charlie Zangel (pictured) is a genderqueer stand-up, writer and Nicole Kidman body double from Melbourne. After making his foray into the world of stand-up as his drag alter-ego Charity Werk in 2018, Charlie quickly made a splash in the Australian comedy circuit, earning a Best Comedy nomination for his Melbourne Fringe show Community Service, and earning a prestigious place in MICF’s The Comedy Zone (2019) - a month-long showcase of the best and brightest new comedians in the country.

Since the end of lockdown, Charlie has been taking the comedy scene by storm, dropping the drag and stepping into the limelight as his true, unfettered (yet feathered!) self. Following his dazzling Brisbane and Sydney seasons, and stand-out feature at 2019’s MICF, Charlie is finally flying solo in his hotly anticipated MICF debut.

As a sketch comic, drag artist, podcaster and playwright, Charlie has always loved comedy that plays with form. As part of his MICF season, Charlie will be releasing a brand-new pop-rock single Drama Queen for punters to get a taste of the action. A jack of many trades, Charlie is excited to bring original songs and a camp sense of theatre to the world of stand-up comedy.

Charlie Zangel is more than just a drama queen, he’s a full-blown Cockatiel – and now he’s finally spreading his wings!

“A rising star of stand-up. [Zangel] commands the stage like a Broadway theatre” – The Music

"Charming anecdotal comedy and skilful use of misdirection” – Weekend Notes