5 Ways To Survive Comedy In SE Queensland With Andrew Dawson And Ting Lim

This piece was published before the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Two of Brisbane's greatest exports of shame and hilarity are coming together.

Andrew Dawson and Ting Lim draw inspiration from mutual life experiences trying to navigate their way out of their 20s and safely into their early 30s, in 'The Situation', featuring short stories, punchlines, and relatable content in general.

Here, Singaporean-born Ting and Tasmanian-born Andrew list five ways to survive comedy in south-east Queensland.

One

Love pokie machines. Some venues don’t mind setting up the stage amongst the pokie machines. On some nights, the number of pokie machines can easily outnumber the crowd. Learn to love the shiny boxes of dazzling lights and the slumped over bodies attached to them. They are the fireworks show you need when you are performing to a bar of empty stools.

Two

Look out for venomous creatures. Sometimes you will be required to perform in a quirky venue, for example a brewery or Centrelink. Be wary of any wildlife that might call the venue home. Queensland is notorious for its amazing array of venomous creatures like the brown snake, red spider and Pauline Hanson.

Three

Have no backbone. Shutting down a heckler with a sick burn is a dream for a comedian. However, sometimes it might be better to adjust your response based on how many neck tattoos and empty beer pints the heckler has. This is particularly important in the Gold Coast region, Brisbane region and the other regions in Queensland – basically all of Queensland.

Four

Autotune is your friend. Gympie, Burleigh Heads and Goondiwindi – these are the three points that mark the perimeter of the SE Queensland comedy scene. Therefore an average week can result in a comic putting over 400kms in a tin can car. Much like the Bermuda Triangle, it is an area where hope occasionally vanishes into thin air. Other times, you find yourself hyped up from a great gig. Either way, you treat yourself and your trapped comrades to a long night of carpool karaoke. Use autotune if you treasure those friendships.

Five

Always be prepared. Queensland has a lot more depth than people give it credit for. Like any large group of people, you always have the good, the bad and the ones we don’t talk about – the militant vegans. You never know what kind of crowd you will get at a regular comedy night. Sometimes you get a repeat crowd, sometimes you get an intelligent and discerning crowd and other times, you get no-one – not even one pokie machine. Always prepare yourself for all kinds of situations.

Andrew Dawson And Ting Lim were due to play Melbourne International Comedy Festival which has been cancelled due to COVID-19.