Always cracking jokes at work? The one who makes the group chat worth opening? Perhaps it’s time to see whether your knack for getting a laugh could become something more than annoying your mates at the pub. The good news is that stand-up comedy can be learnt. Yep. You do not need to be born funny, or raised by clowns. From short, practical courses to full-blown university degrees, here are some Australian comedy writing and performance courses where you can learn to write jokes, perform on stage, and possibly become a comedian of the future.
Sydney Comedy School — $590 (10 hours)
Split across four weeks, this course runs at Newtown Neighbourhood Centre in Sydney. The focus is on storytelling, confidence and charisma, which are all handy skills whether you want to perform stand-up, deliver a keynote speech, or simply stop panicking when someone says, “Tell us a bit about yourself.”
Click here to learn more about the Sydney Comedy School.
Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School — $880 (15 hours)
Over five consecutive nights, you’ll learn how to write, polish and perform your own original five-minute stand-up comedy routine, otherwise known in the biz as a “tight five”.
You’ll be coached by seasoned comedy professionals, including Bradford Oakes, a 35-year veteran of stand-up, plus a celebrity guest comedian. Previous guests have included Dave Hughes, Jeff Green, Lawrence Mooney, Arj Barker and Jimeoin. And it’s not just classroom theory. You get coached by the comedians, then perform on the same stage!
Each year, Hard Knock Knocks develops around 100 keynote speakers, bucket-list tickers and comedians of the future. It also has an impressive record in RAW Comedy, with nine graduates progressing to national finals at Melbourne Town Hall.
Click here to to see upcoming courses at the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School.
University of Melbourne — $3,948 (28 hours)
“Stand-up and Be Funny” (PERF20001) is a 28-hour course run at the University of Melbourne’s Southbank campus, better known as the Victorian College of the Arts, or VCA. It forms part of the $52,032 Bachelor of Arts program, but can also be completed independently through the university’s Community Access Program.
So, yes, you can study comedy without committing three years of your life to essays, student debt and eating baked beans for dinner.
Click here to see when the next PERF20001 course is running.
Collarts — $70,224 (144 hours)
Here comes the big one!
Collarts’ Bachelor of Performing Arts (Comedy Writing & Performance) is a two-year, full-time course for people serious about developing skills across theatre, screen, live performance and digital media. The aim is to help create the next comic performer, writer, director or producer.
At $70,224, it is a significant jump up the price ladder. But hey, comedy can be a serious business.
Interested to learn more? Click here to see the Collarts course.
NIDA — $49,680 (postponed until further notice)
If you were hoping to learn comedy at NIDA, we have some bad news: its comedy course has taken a bow and exited stage left.
NIDA still excels in drama and the performing arts, but its comedy offering is currently postponed until further notice. Maybe one day it will return for an encore. Until then, your comedic chops will need to find another stage.
And remember: whichever path you choose, the important thing is to actually get on stage. You can read every book, watch every Netflix special and annoy every friend with your “material”, but comedy only gets better when you test it in front of real people.
Chookas!