Monday is rarely the night people nominate when talking about Perth’s entertainment calendar.
That is exactly why Cap Off Comedy works.
Every Monday evening, the Bassendean Hotel becomes home to a rotating stand-up showcase featuring Perth comedians, interstate visitors and touring performers, with free entry and a local fundraising component built into the night.
Run by Xavier Susai and Roz Kiamko from Grassroots Comedy, the show has developed into an easy midweek option for people looking for live comedy in Perth, particularly those who would rather spend Monday night at the pub than on the couch.
There is no compulsory ticket price. Turn up, find a seat and watch the show. Donations are welcomed for the week’s nominated charity or fundraiser.
The comedy starts at 7.30pm, but the evening begins earlier.
Comedy writing before the show
At 6.30pm every Monday, the Bassendean Hotel hosts Monday Night Write Club, a casual session for comedians who want to spend an hour working on material before the main show.
The group is open to both experienced performers and people who are still relatively new to stand-up.
There is no formal workshop structure. Comedians might bring half-written jokes, talk through ideas, compare writing methods or simply use the hour as uninterrupted time to get something onto the page.
That makes it useful for people searching for a comedy writing group in Perth, particularly those who want to meet other performers without immediately having to jump on stage.
An hour later, the notebooks disappear and the microphone comes out.
A different lineup every Monday
Cap Off Comedy is built as a weekly showcase, which means audiences are not watching the same bill repeatedly.
Each Monday brings a new combination of performers.
Some are regular faces around the Perth stand-up comedy scene. Others might be experienced national acts, comedians visiting Western Australia or touring performers who have found themselves with a free Monday night and a few minutes of material they want to run.
That possibility of an unexpected drop-in gives the room part of its personality.
You might recognise several names on the lineup. You might know none of them. Either way, the format offers a broad snapshot of the comedy being performed around Perth at any given time.
The show runs for around 90 minutes, with an MC guiding the audience through a succession of acts.
It is pub comedy in the traditional sense: performers close to the audience, drinks on tables and enough unpredictability to keep things interesting.
Monday dinner at The Basso
The location does a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Bassendean Hotel, or The Basso as most locals know it, gives audiences the option of treating the comedy as part of a full Monday night out.
Arrive early and take advantage of the hotel’s Monday steak special, stay for a drink and then settle in for the show.
For people around Bassendean, Guildford, Bayswater, Ashfield, Eden Hill, Midland and Perth’s eastern suburbs, it removes the need to head into Northbridge every time they want to see live entertainment.
It is also an uncomplicated date-night or catch-up option.
There is no need to buy expensive tickets weeks in advance. If Monday suddenly looks free, you can simply turn up.
That accessibility is one of the reasons Cap Off Comedy fits its suburban setting so comfortably.
A weekly platform for local fundraisers
Alongside the stand-up, the show gives local charities and smaller community fundraisers an opportunity to benefit from the night.
A cause is nominated for the week and audience donations are welcomed.
The model is intentionally suited to organisations where smaller fundraising totals can still be valuable.
That could mean a local volunteer group, an animal welfare organisation, a sporting club, a school fundraiser, a community project or another small organisation that would appreciate both the money and the exposure.
It also gives supporters a more social way to contribute.
Instead of simply sharing another online fundraising link, groups can encourage people to come down, have dinner, watch a comedy show and contribute while they are there.
The entertainment remains the main event, while the fundraising happens naturally around it.
Another Grassroots Comedy room for Perth
Cap Off Comedy forms part of the wider Grassroots Comedy network, which has developed regular comedy events across Perth including Experimental Comedy Club, Leederville Comedy Club and shows in Northbridge and other suburban locations.
These smaller weekly rooms are an important part of any functioning comedy scene.
Big festival seasons may attract the headlines, but comedians develop by performing consistently throughout the year.
They need audiences on Tuesdays, Mondays and quieter weekends just as much as they need packed theatres during Fringe.
For Grassroots Comedy, putting a show into Bassendean also means building comedy audiences outside the usual city entertainment areas.
Not every live event needs to happen in Northbridge.
Sometimes all that is required is a pub, a decent room, a microphone and enough people prepared to leave the house on a Monday.
What’s on in Perth this Monday?
For anyone searching for what’s on in Perth on a Monday night, Cap Off Comedy now offers a straightforward answer.
Start at 6.30pm if you are a comedian interested in the Monday Night Write Club.
Have dinner at The Basso.
At 7.30pm, settle in for a rotating showcase featuring local, national and touring comedians.
Entry is free.
If you want to contribute to the week’s selected charity or fundraiser, donations are welcome.
There is no complicated premise beyond that.
It is a regular Monday night comedy show in Bassendean, built for locals, comedians and anyone else looking for something more interesting than another night at home.
Cap Off Comedy
When: Every Monday
Monday Night Write Club: 6.30pm
Comedy: 7.30pm
Where: Bassendean Hotel, Bassendean WA
Entry: Free
Charity donations: Welcome for the week’s nominated cause
For more information click here
