This Week in Comedy

What does it take to quit a perfectly good job and become a stand-up comedian before you've even tried stand-up? This week, Morry Morgan and Stig Wemyss welcome comedian Laura Johnston, whose extraordinary career choices, infectious optimism and willingness to fail spectacularly make for a fascinating conversation.Laura reveals how she abandoned her beloved job as a tour guide at Canberra's Royal Australian Mint to pursue comedy, despite having virtually no experience. Along the way, she shares stories about university sketch comedy, performing at Edinburgh Fringe, winning the notoriously unpredictable Beat the Frog competition and spending six months solo camping around Britain.The conversation takes a serious turn when Laura recounts a frightening roadside assistance encounter in rural New South Wales. Stranded alone at night, she faced an aggressive subcontractor who refused to provide identification. Her subsequent safety campaign attracted more than 41,000 petition signatures and helped encourage roadside assistance organisations across Australia to introduce better verification procedures.Back in comedy territory, Laura explains her self-imposed ten-year apprenticeship, why she's stepping away from solo festival shows until 2028 and how she's determined to master crowd work, improvisation and joke writing. Her forthcoming filmed special, That's... Brave, promises to reveal the personal motivation behind her unconventional career changeMeanwhile, the comedy news includes Monty Python legend Eric Idle cancelling Australian performances, Just For Laughs Sydney announcing international heavyweights, and Saturday Night Live expanding into France. The trio also tracks touring comedians Greg Davies and Shane Todd, alongside Australian exports Sam Campbell and Georgie Carroll.Naturally, there's beer. This week's refreshment is Mornington Peninsula Brewery Pale Ale, a 4.7% brew in a generously proper 375ml can. Stig applauds its crisp, fruity, hoppy character, while Laura somehow connects brewing beer to the computer game Stardew Valley.There's also Laura's gloriously impossible musical guessing game, questionable pig jokes, an unlikely Royal Australian Mint heist proposal and a new joke-writing challenge involving the humble Hills Hoist.Stig shares news about his upcoming Channel Seven television project Christmas House Wars, while Morry champions the importance of persistence in comedy and previews another Hard Knock Knocks graduation performance.It's an episode celebrating creative ambition, resilience and the peculiar rewards of throwing yourself into something completely unprepared. As Laura demonstrates, sometimes the bravest career decision is simply having a go.Links:Laura Johnston (The Comedian) Instagram page: Click hereSign Laura's petition requiring identification methods for Roadside Assist contractors: Click hereSketch writing and performing workshop with Roz Hammond: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

British comedian Gordon Southern, originally from Essex, joins Morry Morgan and Stig Wemyss on This Week in Comedy for a conversation covering international stand-up, Australian comedy news and the unexpected similarities between voicing animated birds.Gordon shares stories from a career spanning festivals, comedy clubs and cruise ships, including the challenge of switching between Melbourne’s Comics Lounge and Comedy Republic on the same night. His experiences performing in Asia, Dubai and America reveal why understanding local audiences matters, particularly when religion, cultural sensitivities and crowd work collide.The trio discuss Nick Abrahams’ upcoming Melbourne fundraiser for the Arts Law Centre, his connection to the Tokyo Comedy Store and the growing need to protect comedians’ intellectual property. AI-generated performers copying real comedians’ jokes, delivery and audience interactions provide plenty of concern, alongside the inevitable jokes about lawyers’ fees.Hannah Gadsby’s intimate Comedy Republic appearances and Simon Taylor’s series Sonny Disposition also make the agenda. Morry reflects on learning comedy alongside Tilahun Hailu, formerly known as Joe White, and their later collaboration on Is This Thing On?, the television series centred on Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School. Its skydiving challenge sparks a debate about whether jumping from a plane is more frightening than stepping onstage.One unexpected highlight arrives when Gordon reveals he voiced the Admiral Insurance parrot, prompting Stig to disclose his own history as the original Dodo Internet bird. Naturally, their discussion of voice acting quickly descends into imaginary feathers, birdseed and questionable methods of getting into character.There are beers from Ballarat’s Aunty Jacks, memories of Australian television, entertainment birthdays and tributes to Don Lane and Soupy Sales. The touring roundup includes Morgan Jay, Shane Todd and Josh Thomas, while Gordon recalls an American gig that became uncomfortable after a joke about religion.An extraordinary story about an outbreak of contagious laughter leads into the weekly joke challenge. Morry and Stig tackle last week’s premise before Gordon supplies their next assignment: “Two pigs walk into a barn.”To finish, Morry previews an upcoming workshop with Roz Hammond, while Stig discusses Christmas House Wars and fundraising for Carnage, a road safety documentary requiring support for its completion. Gordon outlines more Australian dates and upcoming cruise work, rounding out an episode packed with industry insights, personal stories and wonderfully ridiculous detours.Links:Gordon Southern official website: Click hereNick Abraham’s Fundraiser at Comic’s Lounge: Click hereSketch writing and performing workshop with Roz Hammond: Click hereGoFundMe for Carnage, the road safety short documentary: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

Can a hypnotist turn strangers into rock stars? Stig Wemyss and Morry Morgan welcome guest Gerard V, a comedic hypnotist, to This Week in Comedy for a conversation about suggestion, stagecraft and the unpredictable things people do when they let their guard down.Gerard explains how he combines stand-up with hypnosis, why choosing volunteers can make or break a show, and what separates an enthusiastic participant from someone who derails the entire stage. From entertaining AFL clubs to managing corporate crowds, he shares the practical realities behind an act that looks effortless when everything goes right.There is also an unforgettable air guitar story involving a wig, an audience reaction Gerard never saw coming, and a volunteer who absolutely earned rock star status. Along the way, the conversation tackles trust, fake participants, cameras, waivers and why being a creepy hypnotist is a terrible strategy for meeting women.This episode’s beer is The Ghost Hazy Pale from Hop Nation, providing the refreshment as the chat wanders between comedy, questionable impressions and the occasional Collingwood joke.Stig and Morry also recap the latest Business of Comedy networking event at The Rubber Chicken Podcast Studio, where the discussion explored voice-over work and opportunities for performers to expand their careers beyond stand-up.Looking ahead, Roz Hammond joins the next Business of Comedy workshop on 10 November to explore sketch writing and performance, with Stig helping bring the ideas to life. Morry also previews Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School courses for early 2027.In the news discussion, the hosts cover Judith Lucy, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Australian screen comedy and the challenges of getting noticed in a crowded entertainment market. They also ask why television features so many stand-up comedians while offering so few opportunities to watch them actually perform stand-up.The history segment brings Hugh Jackman, Steve Coogan, Russell Gilbert, Errol Flynn and Robbie Coltrane into the conversation, alongside memories, impressions and the usual diversions.Finally, Gerard sets Stig and Morry a joke-writing challenge: you arrive at a venue, look around, and what happens next?Links:Gerard V Hypnotist: Click hereThe Ghost Hazy Pale by Hop Nation: Click hereHod do you turn an idea into a sketch with Roz Hammond: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

Lily Geddes is back, Jeremy 'Jez' Dooley is in the studio, and Morry Morgan has plenty to say about comedians doing everything on television except stand-up. Welcome to another episode of This Week in Comedy, recorded at The Rubber Chicken Podcast Studio in South Melbourne.Fresh from his debut Edinburgh Fringe solo season, Jez shares stories from Daddy Cool, taking Melbourne material overseas, and surviving 25 shows alongside around 60 additional spots. There’s parenting chat, tales of travelling with fellow comedians, and a look at his plans for an Australasian tour in 2027. He also explains why giving emerging comedians opportunities matters, and how putting material online can help build an audience.Lily brings her South Melbourne drama, recounting a flooded York Street bridge, a stranded BMW and an attempted rescue that made the news. She also takes us behind the scenes of Christmas House Wars, catching up with Stig Wemyss and Anthony Littlechild at Queen Victoria Market while they work on the festive television production.In comedy news, the conversation covers Little Shop of Horrors hitting the road, Hamish Blake’s Unskilled Adult, Ed Kavalee’s Cop This!, Rowan Atkinson’s return to London’s West End, and Greg Davies heading to Australia. Along the way, the trio debate whether Australian television needs more stand-up, more variety, or more opportunities for comedians to do what they do best.This episode’s drinks come courtesy of Cavalier Brewing, with a hard raspberry creaming soda prompting a discovery: the usual beer segment has taken a sweet, vodka-powered detour.There are birthday shout-outs, a remembrance of Cal Wilson, lighthouse jokes inspired by Sammy Petersen’s challenge, and nostalgic tangents about Round the Twist, 1990s advertising and Jez’s interactive variety show.Plus, mark October 13 in your calendar for the Business of Comedy workshop focusing on Voice-Overs at The Rubber Chicken Podcast Studio. The conversation previews the Sonic Playground team’s visit and explores how a recognisable voice can become part of a performer’s brand, what AI means for voice work, and why getting your voice heard could open opportunities.Links:Cavalier Brewery: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

Sammy Petersen joins Stig Wemyss and Morry Morgan on This Week in Comedy for a heart-stopping conversation about podcasting, stand-up, stage disasters and the strange places comedy can take you.Known for Confessions, Not Another Crime Podcast and Two Drunk Aunties with Bron Lewis, Sammy explains how he became a prolific podcaster. He reveals why Confessions of the Idiots became Confessions, what happens when guests refuse to interrupt, and how Reddit stories provide endless fuel for funny conversations.Sammy shares the frightening experience of suffering a cardiac arrest during a stand-up performance. With audience members thinking his collapse was part of the act, the incident led to six years away from stand-up and helped steer him towards podcasting. Stig responds with his story of a sketch comedy performance that ended in blood and stitches.The team dives into Melbourne Fringe, unusual show titles and live podcast events, including Sammy’s Confessions appearance with Myf Warhurst at Humdinger Studios. There’s also plenty of appreciation for Bron Lewis’s crowd work and the chemistry that makes a comedy partnership click.A debate follows: "Why does Australian television feature so many stand-up comedians without giving them much opportunity to perform stand-up?" From Class Clowns and Taskmaster Australia to Have You Been Paying Attention?, the trio discusses television formats, protecting material and whether broadcasters should make more room for live comedy.Beer comes courtesy of Breheny Bros Brewers, with a shout-out to James Breheny for delivering the range to the studio. Expect tasting chatter, packaging appreciation and Morry’s explanation of what makes a good dog-walking beer.Elsewhere, the conversation covers international tours and entertainment anniversaries. Stig reflects on working with Kim Gyngell on Col’n Carpenter, studying acting in New York and appearing in Around the Twist.The weekly joke challenge tackles lateness before Sammy reveals his supposed lighthouse “fetish”, setting the next assignment: the life of a lighthouse keeper.Stig shares preparations for Christmas House Wars for Channel 7, with families choosing Christmas trees before competing to transform their homes. Morry mentions he’s built The Rubber Chicken Podcast Course, helping creatives develop their ideas, create a website, record three episodes and distribute their podcasts, while Sammy previews a stand-up show about a breakup.Subscribe for comedy news, industry conversations and entertaining detours.

Episode 42 of This Week in Comedy brings together Stig Wemyss and Morry Morgan for a loose, joke-heavy conversation with special guest Barry Morgan, the flamboyant organ salesman and comedy character best known for turning the home organ into an unlikely show business weapon.Barry arrives with his trademark enthusiasm, a portable organ and plenty of double entendres, while Stig and Morry immediately speculate about whether Barry and Morry might actually be related. The Morgan family jokes continue throughout the episode, alongside discussion of Barry’s missing moustache, his roadie Stretch and his upcoming appearance at the Geelong Comedy Festival on 25 October. Barry explains that he will be bringing his beloved Hammond Aurora Classic and Leslie rotating speaker system, while repeatedly reminding listeners that, ultimately, he is still trying to sell organs.Barry also recalls his breakthrough appearances on Spicks and Specks, remote travels through central Australia, and the simple joy of making audiences smile through live music.The episode also moves through the week’s comedy news. Daniel Connell has released his new special, Box Headed Man Baby, while the Darwin Comedy Festival is discussed ahead of its 2027 return. Dan Ilic’s move to become CEO of GetUp is covered, with Morry reflecting on Ilic’s appearance at the Business of Comedy Conference and the role satire can play in public life.There is also time for a beer break, with the team cracking open Stomping Ground Pale Ale from Collingwood. Morry recalls serving Stomping Ground at the old Rubber Chicken venue, while Barry joins the tasting and provides suitably upbeat organ music. The group discusses the beer’s passionfruit notes, its 5.2% alcohol content and even takes issue with the 355 mL can being smaller than the traditional Australian 375 mL.The team also discusses Ronny Chieng and Hasan Minhaj bringing Hasan Hates Ronny, Ronny Hates Hasan to Melbourne’s Palais Theatre in December, with Morry pointing to Chieng’s career as an example of persistence in comedy.Elsewhere, the show remembers illustrator Terry Denton, celebrates entertainment birthdays, and lets Barry provide impromptu musical stings throughout.The episode closes with Stig discussing Christmas House Wars, Morry preparing the latest Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School students for their graduation gig, and Barry doing what Barry does best: playing, promoting and attempting to sell his beloved organ.Links:Barry Morgan Website: Click hereBook tickets for Barry Morgan at the Geelong Comedy Festival: Click hereBusiness of Comedy voice-over presentation and networking event: Click hereStomping Ground Pale Ale: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

Episode 41 of This Week in Comedy welcomes acclaimed Australian actor, comedian, writer and educator Roz Hammond for a lively conversation spanning Mad As Hell, comic performance, anxiety, television, sport and the week’s strangest comedy news.Roz reflects on her ten seasons working alongside Shaun Micallef on Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, describing the joy, discipline and generosity behind one of Australia’s most respected comedy programs. She revisits the wonderfully eccentric characters, outrageous wigs and inspired names that defined the series, including her favourite creation, Dolly Norman. Originally introduced as Jacqui Lambie’s adviser and a former Burnie fish-and-chip-shop owner, Dolly became unforgettable for her innocence, warmth and ability to say almost anything. Roz even slips back into character to offer Dolly’s perspective on a Chinese comedian reportedly punished for altering a patriotic song.With hosts Morry Morgan, Stig Wemyss and Anthony Littlechild, Roz also discusses the craft of comic acting. Whether performing comedy or drama, she says the key is playing the truth, embracing vulnerability and finding the humanity inside even the most exaggerated character. She shares her passion for teaching, her Anxiety Toolkit workshops, and how her own experience with stage anxiety led her to help other performers.Elsewhere, the team considers John Mulaney’s possible Get Smart reimagining, a satirical Fremantle football video that fooled Sky News, international comedy tours, the Berlin improv scene and whether Morry’s “Funny in the Moment” segment deserves to survive. Beerfarm’s Hazy Pale gets the customary taste test, complete with another overenthusiastic opening from Stig.Along the way, they celebrate Sam Campbell and debate German humour.Anthony then reports from the NFL spectacular at the MCG, where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams. The group examines the Rams’ whirlwind visit, the 49ers’ longer Melbourne preparation, Netflix’s distinctive coverage and the huge festival atmosphere surrounding the game. Could Australian sport learn something from the Americans about turning a match into a citywide event?Stig also previews his new Channel 7 reality series Christmas House Wars, while Morry announces an upcoming Business of Comedy event for aspiring voice-over artists. Finally, Roz reveals the topic for next week’s joke-writing challenge: AI and the singularity.It is a packed episode full of backstage stories, sharp observations, affectionate chaos and a welcome return from Dolly Norman.Links:Roz Hammond's official website: Click hereBusiness of Comedy voice-over presentation and networking event: Click hereBeerfarm Hazy Pale: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereCreative Head Rentals: Click hereAnthony Littlechild Productions: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

Episode 40 of This Week in Comedy celebrates a milestone with hosts Morry Morgan, Stig Wemyss and Anthony Littlechild, joined by special guest Felix Toohey.Tired of being ghosted by creative agencies, Felix began creating “unhinged resumes” designed to make employers take notice. After conventional applications went nowhere, he abandoned the standard resume and started building elaborate physical creations instead.His applications have included a detective evidence file featuring covert photographs, a resume hidden inside a handmade rock, a working clock, a pack of sandwiches and even a gravestone. Each creation demonstrated Felix’s skills in graphic design, storytelling and just as importantly humour, while making it almost impossible for a potential employer to forget him.In this episode Felix Toohey explains how he transformed a bottle of mustard into an application for Mustard Creative in Cremorne, complete with a customised label, presentation box, QR code and cooking video. He also unveils an application that was never delivered: a handcrafted bottle of ketchup, aka “catch up”, created as a clever invitation to reconnect with the agency.The wonderfully ridiculous campaign earned Felix meetings, attracted attention from major brands such as Canva and ultimately helped him secure a new role with The Taboo Group in Cremorne. Now that he has busted ghosting and found employment, Felix faces the next challenge: creating a second season about how not to get fired.The team also dives into the week’s comedy news, including Chris Cantrill’s Edinburgh Comedy Award win, the campaign for government recognition of grassroots live comedy in the UK, Aaron Chen’s Australasian tour and the arrival of the Raw Comedy National Final on SBS On Demand. Morry celebrates three Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School alumni making the national final, while the team looks ahead to the 2027 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.Anthony then takes listeners behind the scenes at the MCG as Melbourne prepares to host the NFL. He reveals the extraordinary lengths the American teams have gone to in recreating the experience of a US game, including shipping their own water, Gatorade, peanut butter, field-marking paint and specialist equipment to Australia.Anthony also explains his role filming an NFL documentary, capturing everything from player arrivals and change-room preparations to cheerleaders and game-day action.This week’s beer comes from Ballarat’s Corella Brewery. The team samples Annie, a 6.5 per cent NEIPA named after the brewery owner’s dog and double dry-hopped with Citra and Galaxy. It is strong, juicy and apparently perfect for generating wildly ambitious creative ideas.Meanwhile, Stig reveals more about the newly announced Channel 7 series Christmas House Wars, which he created and will direct, with Anthony serving as director of photography. They also reflect on the latest Business of Comedy event, where filmmakers and creatives discussed how to take an idea through development, production and distribution.Add comedy history, questionable celebrity stories, Charlie Chaplin lookalike folklore, births, deaths and marriages, and another instalment of “Funny in the Moment”, and Episode 40 delivers exactly the sort of intelligent chaos regular listeners have come to expect.Links:Felix Toohey Ghosting Busters: Click here Cornella Brewery Annie NEIPA: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereCreative Head Rentals: Click hereAnthony Littlechild Productions: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here

Episode 39 of This Week in Comedy goes behind the wonderfully unhinged world of Aunty Donna with Georgia Mappin, Managing Director and Executive Producer at Haven’t You Done Well and Grouse House TV.Georgia joins Morry Morgan, Stig Wemyss and Anthony Littlechild for a lively chat about what it takes to turn creative chaos into a functioning comedy business. She explains how Aunty Donna has built an entire ecosystem around Broden, Mark and Zach, spanning live tours, Patreon, YouTube, podcasts, books, merchandise, television, film and the Grouse House streaming platform.Georgia also looks back at landing her first commission at 20, creating a children’s show that pitted kids against baby goats, and later taking comedy projects global through Netflix.The big lesson? Never build your house in somebody else’s backyard. Rather than tying Aunty Donna’s future to YouTube or any single medium, Georgia and the team have created a platform-agnostic brand that can follow its audience wherever they want to watch, listen or buy something ridiculous.Anthony also reveals that he worked with Broden and Zach back in 2009, long before Aunty Donna conquered Australian comedy. Even then, Broden confidently pulled him aside and declared that he would be on television one day. Annoyingly, he was right.Georgia shares the less glamorous truth about screen production: whether you are making a tiny commercial, a television series or a multimillion-dollar feature film, there is never enough money or time. She discusses Aunty Donna’s forthcoming movie, the backing of Bluey producers Ludo Studio and the constant roller-coaster of finance, schedules and people dropping in and out.Meanwhile, Broden has created a fresh logistical nightmare by promising personalised fatherly advice to new Grouse House subscribers. The team expected perhaps 100 responses. They received 506, leaving Broden to record hundreds of personal “dad” videos.There is also comedy news involving Tyson Popplestone, Randy Feltface, Jimmy Carr, Top Gear, Ali G and the Dublin Fringe Festival, plus a detour through classic Australian advertising, risk-averse brands and Georgia’s two victories on Gruen.Keeping everyone refreshed is Episode 39’s beer sponsor, Coldstream Brewery, born in the Yarra Valley. Georgia, Morry, Stig and Anthony crack open four different beers from this brewer.Links:Grouse House TV: Click hereColdstream Brewery: Click hereMezzanine Films: Click hereCreative Head Rentals: Click hereAnthony Littlechild Productions: Click hereHard Knock Knocks Comedy School: Click here