Jupiters Hotel & Casino on the Gold Coast will kick start the Australia Day long weekend in 2015 in cracking style with another hilarious 'Laugh Your Pants Off' bill.
Celebrate our Aussie joker culture with a line-up of homegrown comedy mastes including Judith Lucy, Peter Rowsthorn, Lawrence Mooney, Troy Kinne, Ellen Briggs, Tahir, Ronny Chieng, Steve Allison and Jennifer Burke.
Hitting the microphone with his edgy humour and unique view of the human condition for 20 years, Lawrence Mooney is at the top of his game. A celebrated comic, his brutally honest and hilarious insights have earned him Best National Act 2013 Perth Comedy Festival and Best Comedy 2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival.Returning to ABC2 with his own show, 'Dirty Laundry Live' – a weekly comic dissection of the world of celebrity, which is fast becoming a cult favourite – Mooney's 2014 Stupid Liar tour was a sell-out and received rave reviews.
How did you get from knock-knock jokes as a kid to stand-up comedy shows?
When you get that first massive laugh in school for making a smart arse reply or yelling something out there's some kind of cold fusion in the mind that says, "I'm funny" and that's the beginning of this whole thing.
Do you still fight nerves before you get on stage?
Yes, I get a little jumpy and a little tingly. Part of it is excitement, part of it is "don't mess this up" and part of it is the instinct of an animal about to consumed by a predator.
Have you ever made someone laugh so hard that – as Rove McManus would say – a little bit of wee came out?Yes I've had women candidly confess post show that wee came out. It's the highest honour in comedy.
Can someone learn to be funny?
That's a hard one. I think somebody can learn the craft of comedy and really excel at it but funny bones are funny bones.
My dad's jokes aren't crackers, any tips to help him out (or witty come backs to shush him)?
Dad jokes are a time honoured tradition, one should never try to improve them. Their charm is in their corniness.
Do you ever write a joke off for fear of stepping in deep dog-doo?
Not me, if there's trouble to be had I'll wade in waste deep.
Your comedic style is brutally honest, yet you're 'A Stupid Liar' – how do you mix these two?
The premise of "Lawrence Mooney Is A Stupid Liar" was about all the lies I tell myself which takes a great deal of honesty to reveal. I find brutal honesty easy.
How do you normally spend your Australia Day long weekend?
I spend it languidly doing not much at all and reflect on what it may mean to indigenous Australians.
Do you have any dirty laundry you'd like to air out before it starts to smell?Yes, I'm 50 this year and the idea of my own death has occurred to me. Being incredibly self-absorbed I find the whole concept a massive injustice.
Is it fun being on the road with a bunch of comedians – or is it all pranks and no work?
It is so much fun travelling as a troupe as we often work alone. I love the comradery.
