How to Become a Standup Comedian

• Observational skills: Carry a notepad with you at all times, or keep a dedicated notes file on your smartphone. The best jokes and comedic stories are grounded in truth, so pay close attention to life. Strive to find the gold in every interaction, event, and observation, and you’ll never be short on material.
• Self-awareness: A standup audience can smell insincerity from a mile away. Acting coach Jamie Irvine encourages performers to ask themselves a series of direct questions, such as: “How do people see me? What stereotypes do I most easily fit into? What is funny about me? Most importantly, what do I find funny?” 
• Self-care: The life of a standup comedian can be gruelling, between hecklers, late nights, and the temptation to turn to the less-than-ideal food and beverage options. Implement a practice to tend to your mental well-being. Prioritise sleep when possible, and carry a stash of healthy snacks with you. 
• Tenacity: A significant portion of a comedian’s success can be attributed to showing up daily. It's natural to feel inadequate and unmotivated on occasion; but when the going gets tough, the winners keep going.
• A strong work ethic: standup comedians spend far more time writing, reviewing, and practising than they do performing. Comedian Sarah Kennedy says that recording your set can be invaluable and is common practice with successful comedians. “You can go back and pick up on things you were too busy trying to perform to [notice the first time],” she says. 

Standup comedians aren’t required to have a formal qualification. However, a solid foundation in some form of comedic training is highly recommended. And while most comedians have at least a Year 12 education, it’s ultimately your experiences that affect your worldview and your comedic voice.

We strongly advise you to attend regular classes and workshops. While Australia doesn’t have the likes of Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, or the Groundlings, most major cities have at least a handful of reputable studios. For instance, the School of Hard Knock Knocks offers courses in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide. The School of Standup Comedy has locations in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Canberra. Comedy Lounge even has an online program for those based in regional areas.

If you want to take a DIY approach to studying the craft, watch as much standup as you can. Going to live performances is ideal, but YouTube and many other streaming services offer valid alternatives. Watch the masters in order to soak up what works and why—and to break down what doesn’t.

Standup comedians can—and often do—segue into acting, and actors may want to transition into comedy work as well. In fact, both crafts can feed and influence each other and can make you a more well-rounded performer. Pacquola created and starred on the much-loved TV series “Rosehaven,” earning an AACTA Award in the process. 

There isn’t any one cookie-cutter route to becoming a standup comedian. However, here are four avenues to finding work: 

• Attend open mics: Research the open mic nights held by your local comedy club or pub. Get a feel for the establishment’s vibe, then sign up for a slot and start testing out your set. Agents and bookers actively scout for talent at open mics. You’ll also be able to network with other comedians. You’ll need five minutes of material to start, but double check the specifics with each venue or booking agent. Consider working towards competing in one of Australia’s many open mic competitions, such as the prestigious RAW Comedy, an annual festival that helped launch the careers of Pacquola, Gadsby, Luke McGregor, and Ronny Chieng. 
• Self-submit: Platforms such as StarNow, Backstage, and Mandy list auditions and open casting calls in your area. Traditional job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Seek post the odd notice, too, so it’s worth setting up an alarm on these sites. 
• Work with an agent: Representation isn’t essential; however, you’ll likely gain access to a wider range of opportunities. In addition, an agent will have a preexisting network of helpful connections. 
• Build an online following: Instagram Live, TikTok, and YouTube are all fantastic spaces in which to share video content, and Twitter is a great place to test out written material. If you amass a devoted following, you can monetise your profiles, potentially leading you to finding representation and/or further work.

Those who successfully find their feet as a standup with a following often go on to tour nationally and worldwide. These sets may also be recorded and released as TV specials (e.g., Gadsby’s “Nanette” and “Douglas”).

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What type of work you’re involved in, how frequently you’re performing, and where you’re based will all factor into your income. 

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA)’s Equity Minimums provide a rough idea of what a performer could be looking at across theatre, film, and TV productions, whether they’re contracted by the hour, day, or week. For example: 

Theatre
Engaged casually (three-hour performance): AUD 249.67
Engaged by the week (no Sunday performance): AUD 1,198.40
Engaged by the week (one Sunday performance): AUD 1,246.00

TV
Engaged by the hour: AUD 32.85
Engaged by the day: AUD 225.82–279.19
Engaged by the week: AUD 990.90–1,163.26

Emceeing and presenting work is another established path, and can be both an additional income stream and facilitate the development of your onstage technique. Hills, for example, hosted the popular music trivia show “Spicks and Specks” for over six years. He later secured three seasons of his own show, “Adam Hills in Gordon St Tonight.”

Living in one of Australia’s larger markets, such as Melbourne or Sydney, will likely give you greater exposure to opportunities. That said, a move to the East Coast isn’t an absolute necessity. Some performers find that they’re able to carve out a strong presence elsewhere, even in rural communities. If you’re proactive, creative, and willing to travel, a career in comedy is attainable regardless of your circumstances.