The best comedians in Melbourne
Melbourne has more working comics than anywhere else in the country, and that depth is both the opportunity and the trap. A room full of people who go to comedy regularly is a tougher crowd than a room that does not, and an act that kills at a late club show can die at a Friday lunch in a hotel ballroom with the lights up and the coffee going round.
So the thing to check is corporate experience rather than credits. Ask who they have worked for and what the room was like. A comic who has done a hundred of these knows to stay off your CEO, to work with a bad microphone, and to finish on time because the awards still have to happen.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the acts in this category in Melbourne, with premium listings first (no visible client reviews or ratings in this list).
Questions people ask about comedians in Melbourne
How much does it cost to hire a comedian in Melbourne?
Set length is only part of it. Whether the comic is also MCing, how well known they are, what night of the week it is and how far out of the city you are all move the number, and a twenty minute spot at a work function is priced very differently from a full hour plus hosting. Use the from-prices on this page as the live picture, then tell each act your date and format to get a real quote.
How long should a comedian perform at a corporate event?
Twenty to thirty minutes is the sweet spot after dinner. It is long enough to build something and short enough that nobody has drifted to the bar, and it leaves room for speeches or awards afterwards. An hour is a show, and a room that has been eating and drinking since six will not sit still for it.
How do I book a comedian for a work function?
Send the date, the venue, how many people, the industry and what time you want them on. That is enough for any comic to say yes or no and give you a price. The brief is where this goes right or wrong, so also say if senior people are in the room or if the company has had a hard year.
Can a comedian also be the MC for the night?
Plenty do both and it usually works out cheaper than hiring two people. It also changes the shape of the night, because a comic who has been hosting since the entree has already got the room onside by the time they do their set. Confirm they are happy running the running sheet, not just telling jokes between items.
Booking tips
Brief them properly, then stand back
Give the comic your industry, the occasion and a short list of anything genuinely off limits. Do not hand them jokes. A comedian who is told exactly what to say stops being funny about ten minutes into writing it.
Comedy needs the room set up for it
Dessert plates being cleared, a coffee machine running and a spill of light across the audience will all beat a good set. Ask the venue to hold service and pull the house lights down, and put the comic before the DJ rather than after.
April is the month to plan around
The comedy festival takes over Melbourne for four weeks and most local comics are doing a season, often two shows a night. If your function lands in that window, book well ahead or shift your date.