Dominic Lavers

Jay Sullivan Comedy Club

With the number of local comedians quadrupling over the past two years, three monthly comedy rooms now running, and a barrage of performers coming from interstate, Canberra's comedy scene is finally being taken seriously.

National Green Faces winner and stalwart of Canberra comedy, Jay Sullivan, says the scene is feeding of its own success as it becomes interconnected nationally.

“More of our comedians are travelling to cities like Melbourne and Sydney, and our reputation is changing as a result - more comedians are coming here,” Sullivan says.

Sullivan has worked hard in building the scene and runs two four-week comedy courses a year.

One star pupil is Greg Kimball, who has performed regularly around town since he first stepped under the hot light last year.

“The course identifies what is a joke and how to put it together, and actually gets people up on a stage with a mic, under a hot light, and talking,” Kimball explains.

As a result, there’s been a stack of fresh comedians come out of the woodwork in the last year alone, performing to regular strong crowds at Civic Pub, the Front Gallery and Café, and more recently, the Tuggeranong Arts Centre.

“It’s a huge rush and we all have a great time performing,” Kimball says. “The crowds that come get involved and they love it too.”

Local comedian Dayne Rathbone performed for the first time in May last year at the Front, and says the laid back atmosphere was welcoming to a first timer.

Rathbone performs as a “strange and very different” character which he finds hard to explain.

“I’m still trying to figure [my act] out myself,” he says. “I guess you do the things that make people laugh, and over time my material has gotten weirder and weirder.”

The comedian made a hugely successful appearance at Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year, and, as he steps out on the national scene, he attributes some of his success to the teeth-cutting he received at home.

All three men have stories of what it was like starting out, whether it is Kimball performing to a 12-strong crowd - six of them drunk hecklers - or Rathbone freaking out that his material was rubbish and rewriting his whole show the night before a gig.

But all three have lived to tell the tale, thanks in part, says Rathbone, to the local atmosphere.

“Canberra’s a great place to start out,” he says. “The venues are cosy, with everyone packed in close together, which is good because laughter creates more laughter.”

Monthly comedy nights are held at the Front in Lyneham, Civic Pub in Braddon, and the Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Check venues for details. To take part in one of Jay Sullivan’s comedy courses, contact the Tuggeranong Art Centre.