Charne

Graduate Highlight: Charné

South African born Charné performed her debut stand-up comedy performance at the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School in February, and as you can see she nailed it. Witty, sassy with humility to self criticise, Charné quickly won over the audience, becoming a favourite for the night. Charné perfomed alongside comedy greats, Bradford Oakes and Dave O’Neil, as well as returning …

Alf

Graduate Highlight: Alf

Alf is a television reporter, so she’s not afraid of being the focus of attention. The next step for her was to try stand up comedy, and as you can see from the video below, she absolutely nailed it on stage! Performed alongside international comedy legend Arj Barker, bringing her charisma, storytelling skills, and sharp wit to the mic, earning …

Lexy - Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School

Lexy: Graduate Highlight

Lexy is a dynamic public speaker and natural on stage, known for blending humour, warmth, and insight to captivate audiences. Having completed the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School course in September with guidance from celebrity comedian and fellow Brit Jeff Green, she brings both professional polish and comedic timing to every performance. As you can see from this graduation performance …

Big Michael

Big Michael: Graduate Highlight

British-born graduate ‘Big Michael’ smashed his debut stand-up comedy set in front of a packed room of friends and family at the September Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School in Melbourne. His big smile and charm also won over the rest of the audience, proving that he has what it takes to make it big in comedy – Goodwill. Watch for …

Veronica Lees-Amato

“V”: Graduate Highlight

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, …

Amy Yang - Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School

Amy Yang: Graduate Highlight

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 …

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025

30 Hard Knock Knocks grads at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025

Back in 2022 we reported that seven graduates of the Hard Knock Knocks were performing their own comedy shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This year, in 2025, that number has BOOMED to an astonishing 30! Here’s who to look out for this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025, and remember if you liked what you saw, you can …

Mary Gillen Blythe - Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School graduate highlight

Mary Gillen Blythe: Graduate Highlight

This week we highlight graduate Mary Gillen Blythe. Don’t be fooled by her name. Mary is not a 1800s Gothic fiction writer, although she does have a background in Hollywood. Rather, Mary is a bucket list ticker who decided she’d tick off ‘perform stand-up comedy’ and do so in front of over 50 people at the November Hard Knock Knocks …