Hard Knock Knocks

Not all students of the School of Hard Knock Knocks plan to become a professional stand-up comedian. Some do it to improve their business presentation and keynote skills, which is the reason for this interview.

Cam Barber is not a comedian - although he has done a stand-up course. Rather, he's an 18 year veteran of professional presentation coaching, who has helped the likes of the Hawthorn Football Club, the CEO of Boost Juice, Janine Allis, Andrew Denton, and many other senior Australian public figures. In this interview, we discuss the challenges that face both public speakers and comedians, namely anxiety and being oneself, as outlined in Cam's book 'What's Your Message?'. We also shed light on the term 'ethnomethodology' and how it could be the new buzz word in comedy!

If you give regular presentations in your day job, or suffer from anxiety as a comedian, you'll love this interview. And if you'd like to learn more from Cam, be sure to listen to his 'What's Your Message?' podcast.

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Some might say that Christine Basil was a late starter in the stand-up comedy scene. But she didn't let her marriage, kids and dogs get in the way. Kicking off in 1991, Christine has since taken her comedy around the world, and seen her write and perform TV comedy shows including Full Frontal, Totally Full Frontal, and Skithouse, to name a few. She also had a successful stint on commercial radio. With that experience, it's no wonder she's a popular comedy coach for up and coming comedians on the Australian comedy festival circuit.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, we discuss her visual approach to writing jokes, her advice for up and comers, and being truthful to oneself in comedy. If you're starting out in comedy, or have been on the open mic circuit for a while and need a boost, you'll enjoy this interview with Christine Basil.

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Richard Stubbs started his stand-up comedy career in 1983. A year later he began his long running radio presenter career, that saw him broadcast at 3XY, TripleM, 101.1 TT FM (now KIIS FM), 774 ABC, and most recently 3AW. In between, Richard also appeared on and hosted Hey Hey It's Saturday and performed sold-out shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

And then, in 2015 he decided to take his own advice and leave radio and reignite his passion for comedy.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, I leave the confines of this studio and meet Richard in a bustling St. Kilda cafe to talk about life after radio, his hiatus from stand-up, being witness to the metaphorical birth of Australia's comedy scene, and his motto of saying 'yes' to everything.

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Not many comedians can claim the sheer speed of success that Jack Levi, aka Elliot Goblet, has enjoyed. Spotted by talent scouts only 10 months into his career, Jack's round glasses wearing character quickly became a regular face on Australian TV, namely Hey Hey It's Saturday, The Big Gig, and the Midday Show. His character's catatonic, monotonal one-liners also quickly became recited across Australian workplaces and schools, making his look and sound embedded in Australian comedy history.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, Jack Levi talks about being discovered, Daryl Somers, writing material, and his move into keynote speaking and MCing events. And Don't worry, I'm talking to Jack, not Elliot, so the interview is upbeat and exciting.

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Louis Pasteur, the famous French scientist, once said 'Chance favours the prepared mind', when describing how he was able to see opportunities that others had not. The same is true for comedians, as you will hear from this enlightening interview with Marty Wilson.

Serendipitously thrust into comedy via a comedy leaflet, and encouraged to launch a UK comedy career through a chance encounter on a flight with musician Jimmy Barnes, Marty's mind was prepared for these chances and so he took them.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast interview, we discuss Marty's life as a stand-up, his transition into keynote speaking, and how he combines comedy with topics on resilience, workplace motivation, and general mental health and well-being.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast interview, we discuss Marty's life as a stand-up, his transition into keynote speakingg, and how he combines comedy with topics on resilience, workplace motivation, and general mental health and well-being.

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Sometimes the best way to try something new is to jump into the metaphorical deep-end. That was the case for Sonia Di Iorio, who decided her entry into stand-up comedy should be at Raw Comedy in 2009. Unfortunately, she forgot the jokes. Eight years on, Sonia has performed solo shows at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF), and has appeared in a number of TV comedy shows.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, we discuss introverts, being single, and bad habits of comedy. We also discuss Sonia's upcoming gigs at this year's Melbourne Fringe and her musical show that she hopes to launch at Perth Fringe and MICF 2018 - fully dressed I should add.

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When you hear the name Anthony Ackroyd you might recall loud shirts, The Big Gig, Hey Hey It's Saturday, or Kevin Rudd. Either way, you'll have a smile on your face. For 35 years, Anthony has been making Aussies laugh, on stage, screen, and in stadiums, with his witty humour, impersonations, musical numbers, and the occasional slapstick. Today he's even taken his comedy skills, and applied them to helping companies become more resilient, through healthier and happier staff.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, we discuss band break-ups, serendipity, neurotransmitters, and dodgy politicians. If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this episode with the man that 'stresses less, and laughs more', Mr. Anthony Ackroyd.

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Nick Capper is one of the nicest stand-up comedians you'll ever meet. In fact Nick believes being nice is one of the most important qualities for success in stand-up - although he admits it's often hard to practice, since the industry can get personal.

Born in the tiny town of Boomi and educated in a boarding school in Tamworth, New South Wales, Nick first started performing stand-up comedy in Sydney before moving to Melbourne and becoming a regular headliner and MC.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, Nick Capper discusses MCing, starting powerfully and learning to be humble. He also sheds light on how Lawrence Mooney got that black eye at the Perth Fringe.

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Not many teenagers know what they want to be in life. And if they do, they most certainly don't declare to the world they want to be a stand-up comedian. But to the horror of his high school careers counsellor, that's exactly what Ben McCarthy did. With a little bit of serendipity, and a single focus to get up on stage, Ben, now aged 21, has already performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) and completed a comedy tour of Australia.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode you'll learn why Ben embraces bombing on stage, how he writes new material, and how random chances turned into an Australia wide tour. His story, while very fresh, is inspirational.

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Glynn Nicholas is a comedy genius, in performing, writing, and producing. Made famous by his regular appearances on the ABC's 'The Big Gig', and shortly after in his own time slot with 'The Glynn Nicholas Show', this is a man who can see the funny in even the most poignant and stressful situations. That's why he believes the role of comedy is one of the most important jobs in the world.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, we talk about's Glynn's initiation into comedy through busking, how being in the right place at the right time got him into TV, his recent stage shows, and advice for up and coming comedians.

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