Newcastle’s first dedicated comedy club has finally opened its doors to the public, offering open mic nights, comedy showcases and creative development opportunities for locals seeking to get involved in the craft.
Co-owners of the The Newcastle Comedy Club James Conners, Elliott Stewart, and Allan Brady, who have a collective 20 years experience in the industry, attributed the clubs opening to a lacking provision of dedicated comedy in the Hunter region.
“Comedy nights at local venues were great for our development but ultimately it’s not the best way to experience comedy in a loud pub, where people are blending margaritas and the like, so we thought why not make a dedicated space [so] it’s not just better for the comedians performing, but it’s the best possible environment for a paying audience to experience comedy”, said Conners.
To fill the gap in the local market and improve the experience of local comics and audiences, the trio invested personal capital into creating a dedicated club, a process they say has been more than two years in the making.
“Something of this frequency hasn’t been done in Newcastle – while people have run monthly gigs at other places, nothing has really been done multiple nights a week here that is comedy related.”
“You normally have to go on holidays, go on a cruise or go to another city to be able to watch dedicated comedy, so the whole Newcastle region has been super keen for [a local offering].”
The club, which is located at 1 Darby Street, is currently open three nights a week and hosts open mic nights every Tuesday, as well as comedy showcases on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Local comedians and headliners from Sydney and interstate have been among performers thus far, with Netflix’s “Hot Mess” comedian Sarah Gaul recently featuring on the clubs opening weekend.
Conners revealed the club has intentions to eventually extend trading hours to include Wednesday nights, where comedy television trivia featuring favorites such as Sienfield and South Park will commence.
Future offerings will expand to include free workshops for comedians and aspiring comedy writers, and will teach comedy film basics and acting classes.
“It’s all about creatively developing a bunch of Novocastrian’s and supporting current comedians in the scene, as well as bringing in people who have always wanted to try comedy but who have never really had a place to do it.”
While facilitating the local comedy scene has been rewarding, Conners said opening the club hasn’t been without its challenges.
“It’s been a lot of pressure because we want people to have a good time – it comes from being a comedian in the first place and wanting to make people happy.”
“It’s been a lot of work over a lot of months, between three guys who have never used a power tool before to get this place looking great, then watching people leaving the show talking about how awesome it was and that they’ll be returning.”
“That is the biggest thing for us- the satisfaction from audiences.”
The co- owner conceded that while the men are still learning to run the club’s bar facility, which has not been “a smooth” process, the comedy aspect was an “absolute blinder.”
[Novacastrians] have been excited and that’s reflected in how well our shows have been selling. Last weekend was unbelievable – the show was great and the audience was great.”
“We have a lot to owe to Newcastle for embracing the concept. We’ve had so many people reach out to us or even sharing it.”
Conners encouraged local comedians to get involved, whether they’re experienced or new to the scene.
“For established comedians by all means send us a message and for people who have never done comedy before or very little of it, we do have open mic that are starting every Tuesday, weekly.”
“The thing with comedy in Australia is that there’s only about five or six household names in comedy, but there are hundreds of really great comedians that you’ve never heard the name of, but hopefully one day you will.”
Conners hopes that a dedicated club will grant greater exposure for local comedians.
“At Newcastle Comedy Club showcases, we provide a lineup of great comedians that you’ve probably never seen or heard of before, and you’ll be walking away telling yourself you’ll write their name down, because they’ll be on Netflix one day.”
Audiences can also expect locally-made beverages at the venue, with The Comedy Club championing Mayfield company Shout Brewing to supply craft beers.
Follow the club’s Facebook page to stay up to date with the Newcastle Comedy Club or alternatively, head to their website for more information.