The Last Laugh (comedy Venue)
The Laugh Last Theatre Restaurant & Zoo, popularly known as The Last Laugh, was a comedy club in Melbourne, Australia. It was a major centre for the development of Australian alternative comedy. The 250-seat Last Laugh opened in 1976 at 64 Smith Street, Collingwood in the former Foresters Hall. A smaller upstairs venue, Le Joke, was added in 1981. Acts associated with The Last Laugh in the 1980s included Los Trios Ringbarkus, The Phones, Rod Quantock, Mary Keneally, Wendy Harmer, Jane Clifton, Circus Oz, Tracey Harvey, Glenn Robbins and Richard Stubbs Richard Stubbs (born 4 November 1957) is an Australian radio and television presenter, writer and comedian. Career Stubbs was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, where he was school captain. He then completed a Bachelor of Economics degree .... References {{DEFAULTSORT:Last Laugh (comedy venue), The Comedy venues Culture of Melbourne Former theatres in Melbourne Australian comedy ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Alternative Comedy
Alternative comedy is a term coined in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era. The phrase has had different connotations in different contexts: in the UK, it was used to describe content that was an "alternative" to the mainstream of live comedy, which often involved racist and sexist material. In other contexts, it is the nature of the form that is "alternative", avoiding reliance on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt has defined it as "comedy where the audience has no pre-set expectations about the crowd, and vice versa. In comedy clubs, there tends to be a certain vibe—alternative comedy explores different types of material." In an interview with ''The A.V. Club'' after his performance in the 2011 comedy-drama film ''Young Adult'', Oswalt stated: I had come up out of that whole alternative scene, which was all about, "Don’t try it, man. Just go up and wing it. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Smith Street, Melbourne
Smith Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, running north from the city proper and separating Fitzroy from Collingwood. Geography Smith Street runs north-south from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end to Queens Parade. Between Victoria Parade and Alexandra Parade, it forms the boundary between Fitzroy, Victoria, Fitzroy and Collingwood, Victoria, Collingwood; the short segment north of Alexandra Parade is in Clifton Hill, Victoria, Clifton Hill. Smith Street is located a block east of Brunswick Street, Melbourne, Brunswick Street. From Gertrude Street to Queens Parade, Smith Street forms part of tram route Melbourne tram route 86, 86. History The road now known as Smith Street was originally a winding dirt track running from Bourke Street, Melbourne, to Heidelberg, Victoria, Heidelberg, and was known as the Eastern Road or Heidelberg Road. The road was placed on its current straight course as part of Melbourne's first suburban land subdivision of 1838. On 23 May ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Australian Jewish News
''The Australian Jewish News'' (''AJN'') is a newspaper published in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Since 2019 it has been a local partner of ''The Times of Israel''. History The ''AJN'' is descended from ''The Hebrew Standard of Australasia'', which was first published on 1 November 1895 in Sydney by founding editor Alfred Harris. In 1953 John Shaiak purchased the newspaper and changed its name to ''The Australian Jewish Times (AJT)''. In 1987, Richard Pratt bought the AJT and merged it with the Melbourne-based ''Australian Jewish News''. From 1990, the newspaper has been published weekly nationally as ''The Australian Jewish News''. The newspaper celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1995 and launched an online edition in 2001. In July 2007 Robert Magid became the paper's new publisher. In October 2019, the ''AJN'' became the seventh "local partner" of ''The Times of Israel''. It is only the second local partner outside the United States, after the UK's ''J ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Los Trios Ringbarkus
Los Trios Ringbarkus was an Australian stand up comedy duo prominent in the 1980s, comprising Neill Gladwin (b. 1961) and Steve Kearney (b. 1961). Live act Both members were born in Melbourne, Gladwin in Essendon and Kearney in Burwood. They attended Rusden State College, studying to be drama teachers: at a party, Kearney broke an egg on Gladwin's head, and the two men recognised a common sense of humour. Their name was, of course, a joke; they were always a duo, though early in their career they would refer to a former third member who 'went back to his accountancy business’ or who 'got so small he disappeared and became an accountant and lives in Geelong.’ The duo often referred to themselves as 'anti-tainment'. Their act would often begin with them appearing to stumble onto stage by accident; 'staring out at the audience in sheer terror,' as one witness described it, 'whimpering in agony, stumbling across the stage entangled in microphone leads unable to speak as they g ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rod Quantock
Rodney Edward Quantock (born 1948) is an Australian stand-up comedian and writer. Quantock is known for his pioneering style of stand-up comedy, which is often politically driven, as well as being the face of bed retailer Capt'n Snooze for many years. Described as "a living Melbourne treasure" by ''The Age'' newspaper, he has also achieved great prominence with his involvement in political activism and social justice and as a speaker at many public and corporate events. Biography Early life Quantock grew up in Coburg. His father worked in Fitzroy in a metal polishing factory and as a tram conductor. Before venturing into professional comedy, Quantock studied architecture at the University of Melbourne for 5 years. His interest in comedy started at the university Architect's revue in 1969, where he felt extremely comfortable once onstage. It was here that he met his future wife Mary Kenneally. One of Quantock's sisters, Loris, is a Sydney-based artist. Break into theatre Quan ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wendy Harmer
Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity in Britain as a feminine name is owed to the character Wendy Darling from the 1904 play ''Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy'' by J. M. Barrie. Its popularity reached a peak in the 1960s, and subsequently declined. The name was inspired by young Margaret Henley, daughter of Barrie's poet friend W. E. Henley. With the common childhood difficulty pronouncing ''R''s, Margaret reportedly used to call him "my fwiendy-wendy". In Germany after 1986, the name Wendy became popular because it is the name of a magazine (targeted specifically at young girls) about horses and horse riding. People Business and politics * Wendy Davis, American politician * Wendi Deng, Chinese-born American businesswoman * Wendy Morgan, Guernsey ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jane Clifton
Jane Clifton (born 10 April 1949) is a Gibraltar-born Australian actress, singer, writer and voice artist. She is best known for her role in TV serial ''Prisoner'' as tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney. As a singer, she had a stint with Jo Jo Zep and has recorded an album featuring Jenny Morris and Wendy Matthews, Mark Williams and Marc Hunter Biography Family and citizenship Clifton was born in Gibraltar to British Army parents. In 1961 she emigrated to Perth, Australia, before later settling in Melbourne. She became a naturalised citizen of Australia in 1992. Radio and voice-over career Clifton started out her career on Melbourne community radio stations 3CR and 3RMT-FM in the 1970s. She then worked for commercial stations 3AK, Radio National and 774 ABC. Clifton has also done voice-over work for commercials and audio books. Film, television and stage Clifton has acted extensively in film and the stage and in various television programs. Beginning in cult favorite ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Circus Oz
Circus Oz is a contemporary circus company based in Australia, collectively owned by its Membership, founded in 1977. Its shows incorporate theatre, satire, rock 'n' roll and a uniquely Australian humour. History Early years Circus Oz was incorporated in December 1977 in Melbourne and funded by the Australian Performing Group, with its first performance season in March 1978. Circus Oz was the amalgamation of two already well-known groups: the New Ensemble Circus, a continuation of the New Circus, established in Adelaide in 1973; and the Soapbox Circus, a roadshow set up by the Australian Performing Group in 1976. The founding members were: Sue Broadway, Tony Burkys, Tim Coldwell, John ‘Jack’ Daniel, Laurel Frank, Kevin Gedye, Jon Hawkes, Ponch Hawkes, Robin Laurie, John Pinder, Michael Price, Alan Robertson, Jim Robertson, Pixie Roberstson, Helen Sky, Jim Conway, Mic Conway, Rick Ludbrook, Peter Mulheisen, Gordon McLean, Steve Cooney and Colin Stevens. Significant develo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Glenn Robbins
Glenn Maxwell Robbins (born 30 December 1957) is an Australian comedian, writer, actor, television and radio presenter. Robbins has appeared on '' The Panel'', ''Thank God You're Here'' and ''Have You Been Paying Attention?''. He is best known for ''The Comedy Company'', portraying Kel Knight in ''Kath & Kim'' and adventurer Russell Coight in ''All Aussie Adventures''. Robbins attended Strathmore High School and graduated in 1975. He later studied drama and media at the Melbourne State College and graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree in 1979. He first moved into performing in 1981. Career Television Robbins began his acting career in 1984, appearing in two episodes of ''Prisoner''. In 1985 he appeared on the sketch show ''The Eleventh Hour''. He shot to fame in 1988 when he starred in another sketch show, ''The Comedy Company'', in which one of his characters, "Uncle Arthur", became very popular. In 1991 he joined the team of ''Fast Forward'' for two seasons. Other ske ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Richard Stubbs
Richard Stubbs (born 4 November 1957) is an Australian radio and television presenter, writer and comedian. Career Stubbs was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, where he was school captain. He then completed a Bachelor of Economics degree. After a try-out routine at Melbourne's Last Laugh comedy theatre in 1983, Stubbs' style of anecdotal comedy, based on real-life experience, proved successful. His ability to hold an audience with his sharp delivery and rapid-fire ad libs earned him a reputation as the hottest arrival on the comedy scene. Since then, Stubbs has performed in many Australian and international comedy venues, including Montreal, Los Angeles, London and New York. Stubbs' TV credits include that of writer, interviewer, co-host, host, actor and comedian. His live performances were refined by the experience of hosting 121 ''Tonight Live'' shows on Friday evenings on Channel 7 nationally from 1990 to 1993. Stubbs' radio background is extensive, with 20 years of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Comedy Venues
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term originated in ancient Greece: in Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by political satire performed by comic poets in theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance pitting two groups, ages, genders, or societies against each other in an amusing ''agon'' or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old". A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions posing obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth then becomes constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to resort to ruses which eng ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Culture Of Melbourne
The culture of Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria, encompasses the city's artistic, culinary, literary, musical, political and social elements. Since its founding as a British settlement in 1835, Melbourne has been culturally influenced by European culture, particularly that of the British Isles. During the 1850s Victorian gold rush and in the decades the immediately followed, immigrants from many other parts of the world, notably China and the Americas, helped shape Melbourne's culture. Over time, Melbourne has become the birthplace of a number of unique cultural traits and institutions, and today it is one of the world's most multicultural cities. Traditionally acclaimed as Australia's "cultural capital", Melbourne topped the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual ranking of the world's most liveable cities throughout much of the 2010s, based in part on its cultural attributes. Overview Melbourne hosts and supports many cultural institutions, such as muse ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |