A fifth birthday calls for a few friends. Experimental Comedy Club has taken that invitation rather seriously.
Tonight, the Northbridge comedy night celebrates five years with its biggest showcase yet, bringing together rising performers, familiar faces and some wonderfully different comic minds. On the birthday bill are Nola Bliss, Emma Wald, Chris Pucillo, Felix Mav and many more, each adding their own contribution to a Tuesday night that has grown into a fixture of Perth’s comedy calendar.
For regulars, it is an occasion to celebrate a room they have helped sustain. For anyone wondering what to do in Perth on a Tuesday night, it is a particularly good opportunity to discover what happens when comedians are given room to experiment.
A birthday lineup with stories of its own
At 78 years old, York’s Nola Bliss is a rising name worth watching. Her inclusion makes this a birthday celebration with a healthy disregard for assumptions about who an up-and-coming comedian should be. There is room on this stage for someone with decades of life behind them and plenty of comedy still ahead.
Emma Wald brings another perspective. A nurse who started stand-up a year ago, she is developing her stage presence and bringing a lively energy to the shows she joins. Her place on the bill captures something important about ECC: audiences can follow a performer while their voice is taking shape.
South African comedian Chris Pucillo joins the celebration as another rising presence on the local circuit. Felix Mav, meanwhile, brings quirky thinking and original ideas with a darker edge. With plenty more comedians appearing, the birthday programme offers a broad sample of the personalities making live comedy in Perth worth seeking out.
The pleasure is in the differences. A story that feels instantly familiar can be followed by an idea you would never have arrived at yourself.
Five years of giving new jokes somewhere to go
Experimental Comedy Club was the starting point for Grassroots Comedy, founded in 2021 by veteran Perth comedian Xavier Susai. The wider organisation has since developed a network of metropolitan, regional and festival shows, with professional development at the centre of its approach.
For Susai, the purpose of the Tuesday room remains practical.
“We wanted somewhere a new comedian could try their first five minutes and a working comic could take a risk with an idea they hadn’t solved yet,” says Susai. “Our responsibility is to give them a proper audience, and give that audience a night worth coming back for. The difference with us, is we’re comedians ourselves, not just room runners who aren’t able to hold their own on stage. This gives us a real perspective of what’s essentially a safe space for most jokes.”
That requires more than handing over a microphone. A development room needs consistency, a welcoming atmosphere and an understanding that a promising comedian will not produce their best work every time.
ECC’s published approach gives performers space to try new styles and material without treating every appearance as an audition for a professional booking. Beginners and experienced comedians share the room, with opportunities to observe different approaches and learn through performing.
“Regular stage time gives people something to build on,” Susai says. “They can write, perform, listen and return with a better version. We want to keep creating those opportunities while making sure the audience is having a genuinely good time.”
That work supports the broader Grassroots Comedy programme, where suburban showcases, regional appearances and Fringe World productions offer different settings for performers to develop. A strong five-minute set can become the beginning of something longer, provided there are places to keep working on it.
The emotional rollercoaster comes with the ticket
For audiences, the creative process has its own entertainment value.
A new joke might click halfway through a story. An unexpected response might send a performer towards a better punchline. Someone whose name was unfamiliar on the poster might turn out to be the act you discuss on the way home.
That is the emotional rollercoaster of experimental comedy: the anticipation of a new idea, the surprise of where it goes and the shared delight when it lands.
ECC’s regular format brings developing acts and working professionals together to test fresh material. Previous guests have included Mark Normand, Stephen K Amos, Arj Barker and Fiona O’Loughlin, adding touring experience to a room that continues to welcome new voices.
Tonight’s birthday showcase celebrates that range. The club has reached five years while continuing to make space for people who are only just beginning.
Dinner, drinks and a birthday in Northbridge
The celebration takes place at Lynott’s Lounge, next to and connected to Johnny Fox’s, at 100 Melbourne Street, Northbridge. The comedy room and Irish pub form part of the same connected venue, making dinner and a show an easy combination.
Johnny Fox’s offers hearty pub food and drinks, while ECC audiences can enjoy a meal, including a parmi, as they watch the show. It is a relaxed option for friends catching up after work or visitors looking for a taste of Northbridge nightlife and live stand-up comedy in Perth.
The fifth birthday also gives Susai an opportunity to acknowledge the people on the other side of the microphone.
“Thank you to everyone who has bought a ticket, brought a friend or given an unfamiliar comedian a chance,” he says. “Five years of Tuesday nights happens because people keep showing up. We wanted to celebrate with the biggest showcase we’ve put together and a bill that reflects the variety of this room.”
For anyone who has been meaning to come back, there are plenty of familiar faces to catch up with. For first-time visitors, Nola, Emma, Chris, Felix and the rest of the birthday lineup have introductions to make.
Experimental Comedy Club: Fifth Birthday Showcase
When: Tonight, Tuesday, from 7pm
Where: Lynott’s Lounge, connected to Johnny Fox’s, 100 Melbourne Street, Northbridge
Tickets: From $10 online plus booking fees, or $15 at the door.
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