Generating ideas for stand-up comedy is difficult at the best of times. Just about any topic is open game, but that freedom doesn’t make joke writing easier. If anything, the brain needs constraint to help focus the creative muscle. Here’s four constraints that we use at the Hard Knock Knocks comedy school to help our students generate ideas for stand-up …
Are you thinking to enter Raw Comedy in 2024? Registrations ARE NOW OPEN. CLICK HERE. Got no idea what Raw Comedy is? Well, what you should know is that Raw Comedy is Australia’s largest amateur comedy competition for, well, raw comedians. And by ‘raw’ the competition’s organisers mean you’ve not earned more than $500 total from comedy – ever. In …
Google the term ‘stand-up comedy clubs’ and you’ll be presented with images of comedians in front of red curtains and brick walls. But why? Why are these backdrops so ubiquitous with the comedy industry? Quite simply, it’s the combination of utility and humble beginnings. Red Curtains Stand-up comedy originates from the stages of Vaudeville. Borrowed from the French and modified …
Developing your comedy career requires a commitment to stage time. The Hard Knock Knocks comedy school is first to say rehearsal is vital to a successful comedy career. That’s why we encourage our graduates to produce their own comedy rooms. So what’s the difference between open mic and curated comedy rooms, and just as importantly, how do you get gigs? …
So you’re after a fun night out, and watching stand-up comedy in Melbourne is at the top of the list. Well, you’re in luck, because Melbourne, and its neighbouring inner suburbs, has some of the best comedy clubs, pubs and rooms in the world! Really! Lonely Planet writer, Tim Richards, ranks North Melbourne’s The Comic’s Lounge as the world’s number 7, …
Comedian Jimmy Carr has made a bold statement regarding teaching stand-up comedy. In his first interview with Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Carr not only said that you can teach stand-up comedy, but that it should even be taught in schools. “I don’t think it’s a dumb idea to teach stand-up comedy and to say, everyone should …
Photo: Eddie PerfectPhoto Credit: Melbourne International Comedy Festival / Jim Lee Photo So how do you get to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) in 2024? Is it invite only? Do you need to know the mayor? Is a bribe required? The good news for Australians and New Zealanders is that anyone can perform – without a bribe. …
Stand-up comedy can be a stepping stone to a career in Hollywood. Many comedic actors have started out performing stand-up comedy before making it big on the silver screen – take for example Jim Carrey, Sarah Silverman, or even our own Eric Bana. In this post we look at how the world of stand-up comedy can open doors and pave …
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival dates for 2024 have been announced. They are Wednesday March 27 until Sunday April 21. Established in 1987, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival ranks among the world’s top three comedy festivals, alongside the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival. Each autumn, this annual event takes over Melbourne, Australia’s comedy capital, with an …
