Originally from China, Amy Yang might be new to stand-up comedy—but she’s definitely not the shy type. Living in Melbourne with her girlfriend and partner, Amy brought boldness, honesty, and a cheeky charm to the Hard Knock Knocks stage. Despite never having done stand-up before, she tackled the mic with confidence and a fresh perspective. Safe to say, Amy’s no …
Here’s a fact. The Hard Knock Knocks comedy school has had nine of our alumni make it all the way to the ‘National Final’ of Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Raw Comedy. Are you thinking to enter Raw Comedy 2027? Registration isn’t open yet, so stay tuned. Got no idea what Raw Comedy is? Well, what you should know is that …
Brisbane-based comedian Angus McLeod might already have experience on the stand-up circuit, but his journey back to the stage is anything but ordinary. Known for his sharp, satirical one-liners, Angus brings a distinctive perspective to comedy, drawing on his experiences with profound hearing loss and life with a cochlear implant. After suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2022 that left …
You’re not funny. There, I said it. Sure you love watching stand-up comedy, and you think you’ve written some awesome jokes, but really you’re not funny. The good news is that stand-up comedy can be learnt. That’s right. You don’t have to be born funny. Even Jimmy Carr thinks so! But first things first, let’s figure out the reasons why …
After 10 years, and well over 800 graduates, we are confident that there are three types of people who do the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy Course: keynote speakers, bucket list tickers, and comedians of the future. So which one are you? Keynote speakers Fear drives one of the most common types of stand-up comedy student. Whether it’s an upcoming ‘best …
If there’s one thing that’s been great about lockdown, it’s that we’re all accustomed to watching shows on platforms other than free-to-air network TV. And this has opened up a whole world of alternative comedy, made by Aussies for Aussies. So what are the best Australian comedy web series to get us through lockdown – or awful summer programming on …
Episode 34 of This Week in Comedy welcomes veteran comedian Lehmo for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from world records and television history to strange trivia, Australian comedy and everyday attempts to make strangers laugh. Lehmo begins by recalling his decade as a chartered accountant and joking that creative accounting allowed the years 1991 to 1997 to somehow equal ten. …
One of Melbourne’s most popular Singer Celebrant MCs, Veronica Lees-Amato (or “V”, as her comedy moniker) might be new to stand-up—but she’s no stranger to the stage. With a long and vibrant career entertaining crowds across all kinds of events, she brought her signature energy and charisma to the Hard Knock Knocks stage Respected, lively, and never short on sparkle, …
There’s many ways to write a joke. At the Hard Knock Knocks stand-up comedy school, we teach three. Our favourite joke structure is the Normal-Normal-Twist. The Normal-Normal-Twist takes the audience on a familiar journey and then suddenly zigs sideways, with a surprise. The first ‘normal’ establishes a familiar idea. The second ‘normal’ strengthens the audience’s expectation. The twist then breaks that …
One of the most common questions asked by Hard Knock Knocks comedy students is “How much do stand-up comedians make?” It’s a valid question, but unfortunately one that is hard to answer. Firstly, unlike other jobs within The Arts, the ‘business of comedy‘ is not regulated by an Award rate. While the Australian Government’s Fair Work Ombudsman’s ‘Pay Guide – …
