No joke, Lewis Holt discovered a canny way to combine the two loves of his life, stand-up comedy and craft beer, bringing both together seamlessly to create Canned Laughter, providing comedy nights at local breweries for Northern Beaches’ stand-up fans.
What inspired the idea?
I have been performing stand up for a couple of years and usually have to travel a long way to get a gig. There are fantastic clubs in the city, with the best ones predominantly in the inner west. But when speaking to comedy fans on the Beaches, they all said the same thing, they would like to go to more live comedy but didn’t like traveling to the inner west, particularly mid-week. As a comedy fan myself, I want to see the scene in Sydney grow, and decided to put on nights that were more accessible to comedy fans on the Northern Beaches.
Had you worked in this field originally?
No, comedy is new for me, but I have worked in hospitality/events for years, running venues for Merivale and Solotel, and work now as a venue manager at a restaurant in Freshwater.
What convinced you Canned Laughter was a winner?
I received an overwhelming positive response from my first show. Venues and comedians were all excited that comedy was coming to the Beaches.
How exactly does it work?
I book all the comics. It’s a mix of local up and coming comedians with a professional headlining the show.
What problem are you solving?
I’m providing a place where local comics can perform and improve, but at the same time Canned Laughter is getting lots of people into the Northern Beaches venues on the mid-week nights which would normally be fairly quiet.
What makes for a cracking comedy performance?
Experience and reading the room are a big part of it. A great comic will be able to tell if certain material won’t work with a crowd after one joke. The MC plays a vital role, warming up the crowd with good energy is so important. I have seen great comics go in to a “cold” crowd and bomb if they haven’t been warmed up.
What seems to be a recipe for epic bombing?
Bombing is something every comedian has gone through. The most common one is forgetting your jokes and staring blankly. Heckles from a crowd can throw off their rhythm. Sound issues are the same if the mic gets feedback. Most recently I had a comedian wearing an Apple watch have Siri tell him that, “I’m sorry I didn’t quite get that”, which got his biggest laugh of the night.
What are you doing to expand?
I’m currently focusing on monthly shows but constantly have corporate clients reaching out to organise private events.
What have been your biggest triumphs?
Signing up Dan Muggleton, one of my favourite Sydney comedians, to a sold-out show at Freshwater Brewing Co. for 130 people.
What advice would you give yourself back before setting off on this ride?
People will turn up. Don’t focus too much on pre-sale tickets.
How can the people of the Northern Beaches invest towards your success?
Come see some comedy on your doorstep! And any business that wants to boost trade on a quiet night, get in touch.
Upcoming Canned Laughter shows
4 Pines Newport on 2 August
Freshwater Brewing Co. on 31 August
4 Pines Manly on 7 September
Follow @cannedlaughterau on socials and visit www.cannedlaughter.com.au for all info.