It is a sunny Perth winter day and I have my clipboard in hand.
“Do you enjoy comedy?”
“Oh yes! I simply looooooove comedy!” says my local Perth shop keeper.
“Have you seen any Perth comedy?” I press.
“Oh yes, I saw Chris Rock at the Perth Arena.”
“No ma’am, I mean, have you been to any local Perth Comedy Rooms?”
Her face goes blank. “There’s comedy happening in Perth?”
This was the most common response I got when I surveyed a hundred people on their knowledge of the Perth comedy scene. It seems that in a city of two million people, the good folks of Perth are completely unaware of excellent acts happening right here in our city, with punters opting to spend their dollars on large, swish international acts.
With regards to my survey participants, despite professing their love for comedy, it hadn’t occurred to a single one of them that there is comedy happening right here under their very noses.
I wondered whether the Perth Comedy scene was too inaccessible, too hard to find. So I quickly googled, “Perth Comedy,” and the first three results are, The Comedy Lounge, (Perth CBD), Infinite Jest Comedy, (Mt Lawley) and Lazy Susan’s Comedy,(Northbridge).
If you go to Facebook, you can find, The Fremantle Comedy Factory, (Fremantle) and The Big Hoo Haa, (Northbridge). Seems pretty easy to find Perth comedy, if you look.
So why aren’t the good people of Perth looking for live comedy? Maybe they don’t see the value in it? Do you see value in live comedy?
Friends, today I’m going to give you five solid reasons to go out and see local comedy. There is comedy happening in Perth when Chris Rock isn’t here.
Comedy is good for the soul
Have you heard the phrase, “laughter is the best medicine?” Why else would Doctor Hunter Doherty Adams (A.K.A. Patch Adams) employ this methodology in his hospital?
Laughing has been proven to boost the immune system, trigger the release of endorphins and lower blood pressure.
Almost famous
You could be seeing the next Jim Jefferies at an open-mic spot and not even know it yet.
Did you know Jim Jefferies studied at WAAPA and performed stand-up here? You would if you went to live comedy…
Who knows which one of the performers to grace the stage is the next Rove McManus, Claire Hooper or Joel Creasey?
It’s cheap
The average price of open-mic nights is about five dollars. We’re all students or struggling professionals, why not take full advantage of the cheap entry fees… and fill up on drinks? Need I say more?
It’s a night out with mates
Let’s be real. You want to do cool, exciting, fun things that you can boast to about your friends. The theater? C’mon. Too bougie. A dance performance? Not interactive enough.
This is where comedy steps in. Comedy is an art form, my friends. You best believe that those comics have poured their heart and soul into the jokes they tell (yes, even the dick jokes…)
It’s easy to facilitate groups at a comedy gig since it’s a shared experience: you laugh together, you strengthen your friendships – you can even heckle the comedians together (don’t).
It keeps Perth creative
As performers, we thrive on your precious attendance to our gigs. A performer without people to perform to is like a flower without sun – we are simply unable to harness energy from your laughter and generate it into comedic life.
Without you, much like a flower, we wither and die and disintegrate back into the earth.
So, go forth my children and see some comedy! There is comedy happening in Perth.
Jaleesa Maher | j.aleesaaa
Jaleesa is a local comedian, improviser, writer who will rant about the patriarchy to anyone who will listen.