The best comedians in Brisbane
Comedy is the only booking on this site that can fail quietly, in front of everyone. That is why the useful question about a Brisbane comic is not how many festival credits they have, it is how many function rooms they have worked and what happened in them. A set built for a late club audience does not survive a Friday lunch with the lights up.
The local pool is smaller than Melbourne's and that has an upside. A comic working regularly here has very likely stood in your function room already and knows how the local trades talk, which on a corporate night beats a bigger name flown up for the evening.
Top picks in Brisbane
Top picks are the acts in this category in Brisbane, with premium listings first (no visible client reviews or ratings in this list).
Questions people ask about comedians in Brisbane
How much does it cost to hire a comedian?
Two levers do most of the work: how long they are on, and how much writing the job asks for. A ten minute spot after dinner sits nowhere near an hour of material written around your own company, and MC work across a whole evening is a third thing entirely. Compare the from-prices here and expect several acts to want the brief before they quote.
How long does a comedian perform for?
Twenty to thirty minutes is the standard function spot and it is usually the right length. Longer sets work for a seated audience who came specifically for comedy, which is rarely what a Brisbane work function is. If you want the comic across the whole night, you are asking for MC work and should say so.
Can a comedian MC our awards night?
It is one of the better uses of a comic, because someone funny holding the running order keeps a long night moving. Ask specifically whether they do MC work, since it needs organisation and a light touch rather than material. Send the run sheet early so they can write links between the categories instead of vamping.
How do I book a comedian?
Send the date, the venue, the crowd and what slot you have in mind, then wait for a written quote. Nothing is booked until you have accepted one in writing, so asking two or three acts costs you nothing but a few minutes. The comics who reply with questions about the room are usually the ones worth shortlisting.
Booking tips
Give them the no-go list in writing
The restructure, the person who left, the project that went badly. Five lines in an email before they write anything is the best thing you can do for the night, and any experienced comic will thank you for it.
Put them on after the food and before the awards
A crowd that has eaten will sit and listen. Once the trophies and speeches start, the room settles into a different mode and getting it back takes real work, so claim the slot straight after the main course.
Check what microphone the venue really has
A lectern microphone at the front of a wide Brisbane function room will flatten a good set. A comic needs a handheld or a headset and enough volume to reach the back table, so confirm it with the venue rather than assuming.