How do you remember stand-up comedy? You know each joke by heart. You’ve practiced a hundred times. But still, there you are, staring at the sea of faces from the stage, with a metaphorical tumbleweed rolling through your head. Crap! You’ve got an acute case of stage fright. Stand-up comedian and Hard Knock Knocks co-founder, Ben Horowitz, knows the feeling. As …
This week we highlight graduate James Pendrith James attended the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School in February 2024, flying down from Brisbane to attend the five night course. He had dabbled in open mic comedy a couple of times, and had a goal of polishing his performance with the help of coaching, and performing to a big crowd. He got …
Across all of his social media platforms Australian comedian Reuben Solo has over 800,000 followers. His Instagram sits at 235,000 followers, YouTube at 19,000 subscribers and over 560,000 followers on TikTok. He chooses not to be on Facebook. He’s Gen Z after all. Reuben has attracted this enormous following by filming skits, where he often plays all the characters. To …
Some of the Australia’s funniest stand-up comedians coach the Hard Knock Knocks comedy courses around Australia. Actually, that’s not entirely true. We also have funny Brits (Jeff Green and Glynn Nicholas), Japanese (Mayumi Nobetsu) and did you know that Greg Fleet is actually an American?! These hilarious comics provide advice, give feedback, and share their comedic journeys. They also perform …
Australia is home to some stellar dark comedians. In fact, one of the most popular shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the Dark Comedy Special. But before we get into our top five dark comedians, however, let’s answer the question, “What is dark comedy?” As a somewhat controversial topic, it is often misunderstood. What is dark comedy? Mental …
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 …
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, …
