You wait for the comedy festival every year, study the guide the day it comes out, cram in 28 shows over 12 nights, only to forget about live comedy for another twelve months. It really needn’t be that way.

Make an effort to head out for the occasional dose of mid-week comedy and you will be rewarded with big name artists, great emerging comedians and plenty of drop-ins*

*Drop-ins are comedians (usual big names) not advertised to appear but there to lend a hand or try new material

Look hard enough and you can find comedy every day of the week. To get you started here are three of the best regular comedy nights.

Monday – Comedy at Spleen. 8.30pm

Free entry, cheap drinks and plenty of laughs every Monday at this cosy and down-to-earth bar. There is always a great headline act and drop-ins that have included Wil Anderson, Charlie Pickering, Adam Hills, Josh Thomas.

Thursday – Portland Hotel Comedy. 8.30pm

Think about the biggest names in Australian comedy Tom Gleeson, Glen Robbins, Celia Pacquola,  Mick Molloy. They are all regular headliners at this event. For only $13 you get a headliner, a support act and 3 or 4 emerging comedians doing 5-minute sets.

Friday – The Big Hoo Ha. 8pm

If you like your comedy improvised be sure to check out this night of unscripted laughs (if you don’t like your comedy improvised you may after going to this). Unpredictable and often outrageous, you will laugh out loud at the jokes that hit and perhaps laugh even louder at the jokes that miss. Every Friday at Butterfly Club

Links

The Big Hoo Ha
Portland Hotel Comedy
Comedy at Spleen