This article has been updated since first publication

Like nearly everybody else who is interested in comedy in Sydney, I was at the Santa Scholastica College Auditorium on Wednesday night to see 12 rising comics strut their stuff for the chance to be the night's winner of a cheque for $5,000. Having had to turn hundreds away from last year's Grand Final at the normal Comedy on the Rox venue at the Roxbury Hotel, this year Kathryn Bendall decided to rent a larger space and see if she could fill it with a capacity crowd. An audience of 750 people proved that she could.

The crowd was full of the contestants' friends, family and supportive work colleagues, as many as possible there to vote for their favourite, because the contest goes to the comic who gets the most audience votes. Continue reading

The slideshow below displays some posters for shows happening over the next week or two.

• You can examine a poster in more detail, just mouse-over the top of the slideshow to pause it or slow down its speed
• click on a thumbnail (mouse-over the bottom of the slideshow to have them pop up) to view only that poster
• click on an poster to be given an option to visit a separate photo-page with

A chance to be on the telly, maybe? Looking for performers with a difference for Australia's Got Talent up and coming Auditions in Hobart - 29th/30th November Brisbane - 6th December Byron Bay - 7th December Call Jo Rippon - Casting Director 0425 745 865 Go for it… Continue reading

Tuesday 18th November, Comedy @ Marble Bar, Kitty Flanagan headlining
Thursday 20th November, The Comedy Store, Jamie Kilstein headlining

Comedy @ Marble Bar seems to be developing a nice core of regulars after work on Tuesday evenings, which makes for a pleasant buzz to the room, although they tend to be grinners and chucklers rather than belly-laughers....
Arriving late for The Comedy Store...MickeyD, as MC, was a larrikin maestro, fast-foot-working around the stage while delivering great big dollops of cheeky to approving roars...the featured support act, Dave Jory. His wry observational style punctuated by the lunges for emphasis won her over, and totally cracked up the room. If his cats and my cat ever get a chance to plot together, the human race is doomed...
Headliner Jamie Kilstein was promoted as part of the New York underground scene, which is apparently comedy code for “no, you haven’t seen him on Letterman or Leno” and “yes, he’s all over YouTube” (which is handy for checking him out before going to a show). His material was rather like a distillation of the sharpest left-leaning American political blogs - talking points with a twist - so it was very much my cup of tea... Continue reading

The slideshow below displays some posters for shows happening over the next week or two. Continue reading

* Kate McLennan is appearing in The Debutante Diaries at the Q Theatre in Penrith Nov 20-22 (4 shows) - a hit at the 2007 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. [more info]
* George Smilovici started a monthly room at the Mosman RS Club last month called The Comedy Womb - it's on again this Saturday 22nd featuring George and his guest Garry Who. [more info]

This post has been updated to add new performance photos

Shows:
Peter Green Book Launch, Comedy on the Edge @ Hotel William Tues 11th
Jackie Loeb, Mic in Hand @ Friend in Hand Hotel, Thurs 13th
Theatresports Cranston Cup Semi Final #2 @ Belvoir, Sun 16th Continue reading