Perth’s live comedy scene has spent the last few years getting louder, rowdier and increasingly unpredictable.
Crowd work clips dominate social media feeds. Audience interactions have become part of the marketing. Entire nights are now built around comedians roaming through crowds looking for relationship disasters, awkward jobs and people unfortunate enough to make eye contact.
For some audiences, that’s part of the fun.
For others, it’s precisely why they stopped going to comedy shows.
A new Perth comedy event at the Guildford Hotel is betting there are far more people in the second category than anyone realised.
“You’re Not Gonna Get Picked On” arrives at Guildford Comedy Club on Thursday May 28 with a deliberately simple concept: no crowd work, no audience interrogation and no forced participation. Just a proper comedy showcase featuring experienced comedians delivering actual stand-up material.
The result feels less like a gimmick and more like a correction.
It is also shaping up as one of Perth’s more interesting Thursday night events, particularly for people looking for nights out that don’t involve nightclub chaos, expensive ticket prices or becoming unwilling participants in someone else’s content clip.
Set inside the historic Guildford Hotel, the showcase doubles as part of celebrations marking 10 years since the venue’s reopening. The combination of heritage pub atmosphere, live stand-up comedy and genuinely relaxed audience energy feels intentionally old-school in the best possible way.
There is no pressure to sit at the back.
In fact, the marketing leans directly into the idea that audience members can comfortably sit front row without fearing they’re about to become part of the show.
The lineup itself blends local Perth comedy talent with national and international experience.
The night is hosted by comedian and top-tier wedding celebrant Evan Willey alongside Xavier Susai, who has opened for Stephen K Amos, Jim Jefferies, Steve Coogan, Mark Normand and Russell Peters. Joining them is UK comedian and Mock the Week writer David Hughes, Comedy Lounge Comedian of the Year Thabo Tshuma and Nola Bliss, whose appearances on Australian comedy lineups at 78 years old have developed something close to cult status.
Unlike traditional headline shows, the format moves quickly between acts, creating the feel of a classic comedy club showcase rather than a single extended performance. It also gives audiences a broad mix of comedy styles throughout the evening, from storytelling and sharp observations through to darker material and chaotic life reflections.
Importantly, the show still acknowledges one universal comedy rule.
If somebody heckles, interrupts or decides to become part of the performance voluntarily, they immediately lose their diplomatic immunity.
As organisers put it: “If you yell out, all bets are off.”
That balance between relaxed atmosphere and live-wire unpredictability may ultimately be what gives the concept its appeal. Audiences get the comfort of knowing they can enjoy the show without harassment, while comedians still retain the freedom to deal with disruptions naturally if they occur.
At a time when Perth audiences are increasingly searching for unique Thursday night events, live entertainment and alternative nights out beyond the usual pub routine, the Guildford Comedy Club showcase feels positioned for exactly the kind of crowd that has quietly drifted away from stand-up over the years.
This show is for people who still love comedy – They just don’t necessarily want comedy loving them back quite so aggressively!
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