Stand-Up Comedy at Badger? Inside the New Comedy Society on Campus

By Eduardo Caceres-Sandoval.

Graphics by Will Novak.

The Canberra Comedy scene boasts a seasoned line-up, look at any festival and you’re typically going to see acts in their thirties and beyond. In a competitive space such as that, where can young, up-and-coming comedians make their mark? The exec team of the newly established ANU Comedy Society (ComSoc) believe they present the solution. With their inaugural open mic night coming up tonight (March 4th), 6:30 pm at Badger, Observer delves into the origins of ComSoc, their operational strategy and what their future entails. 

Forming ComSoc was no easy feat. According to their President, there was a “lot of red tape to get through”, referring to the stringent requirements of banks and ANUSA regarding minutes and the constitution, so much so that they weren’t able to get a stall on market day in time. Nevertheless, they’ve been receiving plenty of support, with a significant amount of crossover with members of ANU’s Law Revue. The Head of Operations (HOO) stated that there are “Lots of connections, lots of support from Law Revue, first points of contact especially”. Regarding venue-choice, Badger has allowed the society to use their venue for free, the only costs being the free food provided to attendees. For future events, they intend to use this model, having local bars host in exchange for bringing customers as a means of cost-saving. 

Despite the lack of significant exposure provided by a stall at market day, their coming open mic night has registered significant interest (more than 25 so far), holding significant promise for the success of the club. 

Both the HOO and President of ComSoc underlined the importance of providing incentives for younger comedy acts and audiences to join the Canberra comedy scene. Speaking on how the society hopes to improve the current comedy landscape, the President told Observer, “If you go to any open-mic night in the Canberra scene…it’s mainly white men over the age of 35”. To create a diverse and inclusive platform, ANU ComSoc intends to reach out to women’s, queer and BIPOC groups. Additionally, financial mechanisms such as membership under 25 being free aim to provide a means of developing a space where young comedians can have their material appreciated. 

“People of all ages are welcome…but I do think that the goal is to prioritise young people”, says the President.

As to the expected calibre of starting comedians, the HOO stated that ComSoc will be “open to whoever applies…giving them their flowers and kudos for just putting down their name”. 

In remembrance of controversies generated by John XXIII College and its IAC Theatre Sports team, Observer asked ComSoc how they intend to draw the line regarding offensive comedy. To this, their HOO responded that it “lies in good faith” and that until they have their first event and gauged audience reactions, the line would remain ambiguous. Also outlined was a screening process within applications that made it explicit that “any sort of material that is racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise discriminatory” would not be welcomed. Adding to this, their President would make note of a general rule of “If it’s a community you’re not a part of and you’re punching down…we’re not going to tolerate any sort of jokes like that”. 

With future plans of running Mic Nights monthly during the semester, and potentially during semester breaks, ComSoc intends to keep momentum. In the proceeding years, they intend to cater to students outside of ANU, but as their HOO says “We want to keep it realistic but still strive for big things”. 

Only time will tell if ComSoc achieves its goals in Canberra’s comedy space.

Graphics by Will Novak.

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