Josh Thomas Jiggle Jiggle | MICF 2026
Click here if you liked this article 2 
Date Reviewed: 01/04/2026
Josh Thomas returns to the stage with Jiggle Jiggle, a show that feels both like a deliberate pivot and a natural evolution. Performed at the Arts Centre as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this new hour trades the weight of “important issues” for something lighter on its feet—though no less meaningful in its impact.
From the outset, Thomas makes it clear that this is a show interested in joy, absurdity, and the strange beauty of being a bit lost. In a recent interview, he described the material as intentionally “silly” and “dumb,” but that framing undersells what’s really happening here. Beneath the playful exterior is a carefully crafted experience—one that moves with surprising emotional rhythm. Early audiences at his Adelaide Fringe work-in-progress shows were right to call it an “emotional roller-coaster,” and that dynamic remains.
Thomas graces the audience with delightful magic tricks, sweet storytelling, and bashful moments that feel entirely authentic to his comedic voice. These elements aren’t just gimmicks; they deepen the intimacy of the show, drawing the audience into his peculiar, gently chaotic world. His signature awkwardness is still present, but it’s more controlled now—wielded with precision rather than simply confessed.
The show’s tonal balance is one of its greatest strengths. A highlight performance at the festival gala demonstrated Thomas’s enduring ability to connect, reminding audiences to embrace their flaws. That same ethos runs through Jiggle Jiggle, even if it’s dressed up in whimsy rather than introspection.
Comparisons to his previous tour, Let’s Tidy Up, are inevitable. That show was widely praised for its candid exploration of neurodivergence and its “endearing and awkward patter,” transforming relatable cringe into something approaching wisdom. While Jiggle Jiggle steps away from those explicitly personal themes, it doesn’t abandon them entirely—it simply refracts them through a more playful lens. This show invites the audience to wander, laugh, and occasionally see or feel something unexpected along the way.
Ultimately, Jiggle Jiggle is a charming and colourful hour of comedy. It may present itself as light entertainment, but like all of Thomas’s best work, it lingers—gently reminding us that even our silliest selves are worth celebrating.
Reviewed by Vivien Lynch