Hard Knock Knocks

Comedian Tom Siegert got his comedy spark at the Gershwin Room in St Kilda. His muse was the legendary comedian Greg Fleet. Today, Tom’s an established comedian in his own right, having performed on TV and at comedy festivals around Australia, as well as hosting his own podcast, Good Banter, with fellow comedian Evan Hocking.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast, host Steve Davis digs deep into Tom&rsquo...

Comedian Katie Burch didn't want to work at NASA or work towards world peace. She wanted to be a comedian, and a dark comedian at that.

In this 100th episode of the School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast, host Steve Davis chats with former National Raw Comedy Finalist Katie Burch about what it takes to be a successful comedian, her life in a cult, and why appealing to a woke crowd isn't great for your comedy career. She also hi...

Haitian-American comedian Ashley Fils-Aime had it all. International tours, sold out shows, and supporting a mega comedian for 11 years. But he stepped away, for love.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode you'll learn how Ashley had to reinvent himself throughout life. First, growing up with grandparents in Haiti, schooling in Florida, being homeless, being the support act of Pablo Francisco, and then going it a...

When you start out in comedy, you're looking for stuff that is funny. When you get good, you find stuff you want to talk about, and make that funny. So says comedian Wayne Deakin, a 20 plus year veteran of stand-up comedy who has performed in London, New York, Las Vegas, Montreal, all over Australia, AND to Aussie troops in the Middle East.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode straight shooter 'Deaks' shares his phil...

By dying, Prince Phillip helped sell out comedian Lewis Spears' last week of his Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) show. Morbid, yes. But also, totally on brand. And totally orchestrated. Yes, mainstream media, like the Daily Mail who called Spears a monster, was played by this true professional. 

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast interview, host Steve Davis delves deep into the business mind behind the ...

Six and a half million people a month consume The Chaser's content. That's some seriously sought-after satire!

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, host and Chaser fanboy, Steve Davis, chats with The Chaser's, Charles Firth, about creating headlines and the editorial process, adopting your enemy's voice, and how AI is developing a 'sense' of humour.

If you like ruffling features, taking the piss, and ...

In 1988 The Comedy Company changed the face of Australian sketch comedy. Kylie Mole, Uncle Arthur, Con the Fruiterer, and Colin Carpenter became part of the Australian lexicon. So too their creators - Mary-Anne Faye, Glenn Robbins, Mark Mitchell and Kym Gyngell, as well as Russell Gilbert, Tim Smith and, the group's founder, Ian McFadyen. You know them as comedy royalty. What you don't know is that it all started with a loaned...

In comedy timing is everything. But when you're a radio host, you manage time like a fine art. So says Sydney based comedian Simon Kennedy, a former radio host and 20 year veteran of stand-up comedy.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, host Steve Davis talks to comedian Simon Kennedy about MCing comedy, 'cancel culture', the green-room hypocrisy, empathy, and sadly his mum's passing in the September ...

Comedian Daniel Muggleton is known for the three stripe Adidas tracksuit and big moustache. For the past two years Daniel has been based in the UK and, no-thanks to Covid-19, he's back in Australia.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode host Steve Davis and Daniel Muggleton, also known as Muggo to his Aussie mates, talk about stereotypes, the importance of setting the scene, the UK comedy circuit, touring with comedia...

Stig Wemyss is the director and co-producer of 'Is This Thing On?', a six-episode comedy drama that follows 10 comedy newbies undertaking a souped-up stand-up comedy course, as they get coached and challenged by some of Australia's most iconic stand-up comedians.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast, host Steve Davis talks to Stig about how the show came to be, its premise, how he managed to capture all of the drama within t...

"When you've got someone laughing, you've got them agreeing with you, whether they know it or not." So says Scott Dikkers, founder of The Onion, quite possibly the world's most famous satirical publication.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast, host Steve Davis chats with Scott Dikkers about the serendipity of cheap paper, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, taboos, and accepting criticism, all...

Morry Morgan likes to be the centre of attention. The co-founder of the the School of Hard Knock Knocks, and former host of this very podcast, he has now placed himself into the centre of the Coronavirus crisis, trapping himself in Beijing, China. At least that's how we see it.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, old and new hosts, Morry and Steve, discuss the founding of the school, his favourite graduates, upcomi...

You probably didn't know that Adelaide Comic of the Year, Jason Chong, kick started his own stand-up comedy career by attending a stand-up comedy course. That was twenty years ago. Since then he's become a regular face of Adelaide comedy, on stage, TV and radio.
In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episode, host Steve Davis talks to Jason about discipline, getting gigs, the Tarago Test, and T...

Marty Bright is an optimistic, childish 'silly-billy', which makes him a rarity in stand-up - often the domain of the cynic.

In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast host Steve Davis probes Marty about performing at the Comedy Store in LA, the Comic Strip in New York, and even at a room as part of an all-African American comedian lineup. He may not be black, but he certainly has appeal.

And if you're thinking of giving stand-up ...