Two of the 12 finalists of Australia’s Funniest Boomer were Hard Knock Knocks alumni. But this should come as no surprise. After all, the comedy school, which has over 700 graduates across the country, had three alumni reach the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Raw Comedy national final this year. That’s an impressive record, and one reason the Hard Knock Knocks …
(Updated 23 April, 2025) We’re going to go with 175. But answering how many stand-up comedians there are in Australia is tricky, given the transient nature of this performing art. Comedians often take a break from ‘gigging’ to jump on jobs in theatre, radio, TV and even writing books. Here’s our ‘living document’ our ‘Stand-up comedian list’ of current list …
What do Tim Urban, Sir Ken Robinson and Amy Cuddy all have in common. First, they are the most watched presenters on TED, having each been watched by over 60 million! And second, they all include humour in their presentations. And since close to 50,000 talks have been given at 10,000 events since TED launched in 2009, it’s fair to …
The Hard Knock Knocks comedy school is no ordinary experience. From night one, to night five, the experiences for the comedy students, and the friends and family enjoying the graduation performances, is carefully choreographed, right down to the music. That’s right! We’ve produced our very own stand-up comedy sound track. Have a listen to some of the Hard Knock Knocks’ …
(Updated August 6, 2025) Not all rooms are ‘open mic’. Many are curated, meaning you need to have your name ‘on the bill’ days or even weeks before getting up. So reach out (probably via Facebook) before popping down to the following comedy rooms and expecting to perform your ‘tight five‘. Or better still, create your own open mic comedy …
You may have heard that over the first week of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, British sports commentator Bob Ballard was dismissed by Eurosport for a comment directed at the Australian women’s swimming team. The remark? “Well, the women just finishing off. You know what women are like, hanging around, you know, doing their makeup.” Eurosport was quick to react …
This week we highlight graduate and comedy enigma, Arwin Kraze. Arwin is a multi-disciplinary artist, with skills spanning painting, music and twenty years ago, stand-up comedy. It was comedy that he wanted to return to, but through his own admission, lacked the confidence and discipline of his former, younger self. That’s where the Hard Knock Knocks comedy school played it’s …
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia is designed to provide individuals with disabilities the support they need to achieve their dreams and personal goals, to improve their quality of life. But who says goals have to be ‘serious’? Enter the Hard Knock Knocks comedy school, where NDIS participants can channel their inner comedians, boost their confidence, and transform …
Every industry has its jargon. Australian stand-up comedy is no different. For those new to stand-up, or for those visiting Australia, here’s a stand-up comedy glossary that will help you on the stand-up comedy circuit. A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T V W Is something missing? Add your …
