Q & A

Q: Where are the courses located?
A:Courses are held in Sydney at Star Bar Comedy Theatre, 600 George Street Sydney CBD. (Formely Planet Hollywood-across from Greator Union theatres and 1/2 block from Townhall station and Adelaide at The Cavern 136 North Terrace, Across from The Casino.

Q: What days are courses held on?

A: Sydney-Saturdays from 12noon-2:30pm or 3pm-5:30pm/ Adelaide Sun-Wed 6:30pm-9pm /Thur 6:00pm

Q: When are your next course dates?

A:  Next Sydney course July 7th,2012 and Adelaide July 15th-19th,2012,

Q: Are there age restrictions?

A: Yes. Age 13 to 100

Q: Is it possible to teach people how to be funny?

A: No, but we can help U find out if U are plus help those who are already a bit funny, sharpen their skills to become even funnier!

Q: Some other courses cost an arm and a leg. What is the cost of this course and what are the major differences?

A:We've been running our 5 week course since 2008 and its only $275.00 (early booking discount syd) and $199.99 (Adelaide early booking discount). Hey we've trained well over 150 students, so we know comics (more so then anyone else) have little to no money, so we' ve designed a quality course that won't send you to the poor house, before you even get started. We even offer you an early booking discount to save $75.00 off of that price! You'll find that our prices are not only fair, but our courses run longer in most cases. Trust me, you'll make very little money in the beginning doing stand up comedy, so you might as well start saving now. Our courses are taught every 10 weeks. We spend 5 weeks training (Syd) 5 days (SA - Quicker course) our students in the classroom and 5 weeks helping to launch their careers on several different stages in Sydney and now in Adelaide.

Q: Do you offer intermediate and advance classes? I've noticed some other course do.

A: We believe comedy is 10% theory and 90% hands on training. Our 5 week course is designed that way. Covering the who's, what's and where's plus the do's and don'ts. Teaching stand up comedy,shouldn't and doesn't need to take 6 or 10 weeks. Listen, this isn't rocket science and we don't believe in charging our students, hundres of dollars to cover our huge overheads. Anyway, who wants to spend a lifetime in a classroom to learn something that is mostly learned outside of the classroom ? We give you what you need to be the best, in the classroom, but you'll only ever become the best , once you leave the classroom and we won't hold you back !

Q: What happens after graduation? Most schools give u a piece of paper, a few free tickets and kick u out into the streets.

A: Well so do we (ha) just kidding. All of our course completing graduates get to perform live a minimum of 2 - 3 times in front of mostly sold out crowds. 1 in front of friends and family at our graduation ceremony ( a nearly always soldout event),There they will be filmed and a Free DVD made of their performance. They are then placed in a live Comedy Court Finals show (Also always soldout), 2 weeks after graduation (Syd), Same day (SA) They then can sign up to appear almost instantly (given V.I.P status)in our next Comedy Court Stand Up Competition and Show. As they get better , we place them in our Quick Some Comedy Quick and Comedy for Lunch shows (Syd). Our policy is 5 weeks of training and 5 weeks of helping to launch your new career or hobby (Syd). Plus all students get $5.00 off the door price of any of our Syd shows, as well as our up and coming SA and Vic shows, anytime, anywhere, for life! No other school can offer you all this !

Q: Any success stories?

A: Oh yea baby. Graduates Michele Betts ( Semi-finals quest for the best and winner Comedy court competitions) Andrew Barnett (Regular on the comedy Scene and Comedy court competition 1st Place winner) Kristin Boesenberg (3rd place Finalist Comedy Court competitions and now co-host of Comedy Court and Quick, Some Comedy Quick shows) plus lots of our students have performed at the Laugh Garage, Comedy Store, Comedy on the Rox, Boat shed and many many more Comedy Venues! Hey, don't just take our word for it, in class you can check out the DVD footage of our graduates in action across Australia! Plus because we promote several comedy nights each week, and not just 1, we also give our students the chance to Host or MC some of our promoted comedy shows across Sydney. Not many people can do both, (Host and Stand up) but if you can, and we believe (after several live performances) you got what it takes,we put you to work. No other school can offer you that.

Q: In regards to the stand up comedy industry, what else can the course offer me?

A: Lots, we help and encourage all of our graduates to net work and support each other after the course finishes. We give u fast insight into other open mic, stand up comedy nights, in Syd, SA and how to get in to them. We've also started getting first hand industry information before it gets main stream, such as 2 recent TV pilots for an overseas and local comedy and games shows such as minute to win it etc. We were asked to supply comics for the filming, Plus we've had 4 film directors and 2 film producers, sit in, interview and even film some of our students for up and coming projects. Sometimes it not a matter of just free tickets to a show, or standing on a stage where a star has stood, that, for the most part, won't help your career. To truly get better and be the best, you need industry insite, variety of comedic styles and locations and lot's and lot's of on the job training. We offer our students 2/3 separate comedy nights in Sydney and Adelaide to practice their new trade, no other school can offer that!

Q: Who are the instructors? What experience do they have?

A: Your instructors are Barry Hamilton and/or Donte D1 (USA) and/or other super talent and funny guest instructors such as Billy Freeman, Oliver Phomannavah and Ade Norman. Combined, They have over 30 years of Stand up comedy, competition, corporate and stage experience. Sure they dont have a Phd and you don't need one to be a great stand up comic? But neither did Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Seifield or Bill Cosby in the beginning, (plus we want to keep learning stand up comedy fun and not boring) And to make our courses fun and informative, our instructors have experience not only in Australia, but America as well. Giving you the best of both worlds. This of course is because comedy styles in the USA are different then those in Australia or the UK, We believe students should know not only the differences of doing stand up from state to state, (some of our instructors are from and have performed in USA, SA, QLD and Vic) but also what to look for an prepare for in other countries. We don't just train you for 1 location locally, we train you for hundreds of locations around the world.


Barry (Ha Ha) Hamilton has performed at nearly every comedy club in Sydney and a few across the country. Currently filming a made for TV Comedy show. He's worked with and started in he biz with some of Australia's biggest performers and has a wealth of know how and experience behind him. A versatile performer who can host, perform and mc as well. (A triple threat not many can do).


Oliver Phomannvah, Author,Teacher and Winner of the Quest for the best $5,000 stand up competition, Comedy Court stand up comeptition and has performed at nearly every comedy club in Sydney and a few in Melbourne. He's also a member of the A-list comic squad and currently appears on the Footy Show as a sometimes guest street interviewer. He also helped create the course curriculum


Billy Freeman, Finalist in ACT Green Faces Competition, Performed Adelaide Fringe shows 2011, Finalist in Comedy Court Competition, Guest MC at Quick Comedy Sydney


Ade Norman: Another seasoned professional from the early days of the Sydney comedy scene. Having started about the same time as some of sydney biggest comedy headliners, boy does he have stories to tell and methods to teach.

A sometime surprise guest instructor is Donte D1 from America. He's performed at the Comedy Store and Comedy Act theatre is Los Angeles, The Long Beach California Comedy Festivall, Joe Behars comedy lounge (las vegas nev) At the age of 15, he was one of the first acts to perform at the newly opened improve in Las Vegas. He went on to produce two Stand up Comedy nights in Las Vegas (Comedy at the Cal and Comedy in the Raw at Doc and Eddies nite club.)

He's currently the MC and Executive producer for Australia's only patented Live audience digital voting stand up comedy show and competition! Comedy Court. Now in it's 5th year running. Plus Quick, Some Comedy Quick and Comedy for lunch. He's also the founder of Australia's School of Stand up comedy (Syd, Adelaide)

These course are taught every 10 weeks (syd) and every 6 months ( SA), with limited seating. Don't miss out..book now!