The outrageous 'Effie' played by Mary Coustas, and the acid-tongued Joel Creasey will be joined by all-star comedians Anh Do, Michelle Brasier, Luke Heggie, Nurse Georgie Carroll, and Dane Simpson for three days of comedic relief.

It's been almost three years since Ms Coustas packed up Effie's famous brown wig and shipped her Love me Tinder show to the Civic Stage.

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Thrilled to be making her return, she joins this year's jam-packed comedy fest with her new show Better Out Than In.

"I fell in love with Wagga the last time I was there, and I made an effort to just make sure it's always on my map," she said.

"As Effie would like to say, 'the most famous Wog'ga Wog'ga is coming to Wagga Wagga'."

Ms Coustas's understanding and love for her regional audiences stems from her family's origins in rural Greece, where they live and work on a dairy farm.

This explains why producing a show that can be enjoyed by urban and regional audiences continues to play a conscious role in the comedian's creative process.

"I think performing, and particularly comedy is just a necessity in life... We all need to laugh because life's tough," she said.

"The people of Wagga Wagga know that really well, and I think that we need to reward ourselves with just a little bit of a detoxification, and laughter does that."

Her show Better Out Than In explores 'Effie's' COVID-lockdown experiences in a way different audiences can universally relate to.

"She was not liking how hairy and scary she got... I think she had become a very petty moody, self-obsessed, lazy person like a lot of us did,' she said.

Joel Creasy's show Basic AF covers similar themes after a self-described "dumpster fire two-years".

Having recently returned to Australia after hosting Eurovision where he was greeted with a very tight schedule, the multi-talented performer said this show has been a great excuse to return to his roots.

"We booked [Wagga] in a while ago and it sort of crept up on me," he said.

"But I'm pumped, I'm bringing one of my best mates with me, so watch out, we'll be hitting the tavern."

While acknowledging that for many locals, experiencing live comedy in a capital city is not always accessible, he said he is glad to be invited to Wagga Comedy Festival for a second time.

He added, "I know of other comedians that have been to the Wagga festival since and they've all raved about it."

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