A stellar line-up of more than 40 comedians from around Australia and the globe will bring a week-long of uproarious comedy and entertainment to the Gold Coast this March for GC Laughs Festival.
In its sixth year, the annual comedy festival extravaganza boasts a massive bill of 40 shows that promises back-to-back laughter when it returns to HOTA, Home of the Arts from March 15-23.
Kicking off the 2024 GC Laughs Festival program is the unmissable GC Laughs Gala, heralded as the biggest night of comedy on the Coast and for good reason.
Australian stand-up sensation, TV personality and funny man Rhys Nicholson will host this year’s GC Laughs Gala on Friday 15 March – which reveals a surprise line-up of comedians on the evening to give the audience a taste of the hilarity to come throughout the festival.
Nicholson will be the first GC Laughs Festival Gala host who will also perform their own solo show, his latest one-hour long stand-up show titled Huge Big Party Congratulations, on Saturday 16 March.
Joining Nicholson on Saturday 16 March, seven comedians take to stage including Taka Wakasugi (Japan), Geraldine Hickey (VIC), Alexandra Hudson (NSW), Dusty Rich (QLD), Dave Hughes (VIC), He Huang (China) and Heath Franklin’s Chopper (NSW).
Geraldine’s show, Don’t Tease Me About My Gloves, is set to be both hilarious and educational. She’ll tell you about living with Raynaud’s Disease/Phenomenon/Syndrome and may even talk about other things she’s been up to in the past year.
For a mid-week night out, catch Mickey Bartlett (UK), Daniel Muggleton (NSW) and Lawrence Mooney (VIC) on Wednesday 20 March.
Thursday 21 March will see Diruk Jayasinha (VIC), Fern Brady (UK), Nazeem Hussain (VIC), Damien Power(NSW), and duo Chris Martin and Taylor Edwards (QLD).
The Brisbane-based comedy duo and real-life couple, Chris Martin and Taylor Edwards’ Date Night show is about getting ready for a date with your significant other, sketch show set to leave you in stitches with just how realistic it is.
Luke Heggie (NSW) will be bringing two nights of his new show – Grogan – to the festival on Thursday 21 Marchand Friday 22 March, about ‘the tribulation of someone staying alive until he’s dead’.
Australian actor and comedian Felicity Ward, who is a main star on the upcoming TV show The Office (Australia), will return to home turf for the first time in five years to bring her new hour-long show I’m Exhausting! to life on Friday 22 March.
Also on Friday 22 March, Schalk Bezuidenhout (South Africa) is returning to the Gold Coast to mark his second GC Laughs Festival visit with a brand-new show Keeping Up. The show is all about how Schalk is freshly married and very much feeling older, but can he keep up with the youth?
Alongside Ward, Heggie and Bezuidenhout on Friday 22 March, Sonia Di Iorio (VIC), The Stevenson Experience (UK), Ting Lim (QLD), Bronwyn Kuss (VIC), and Ray O’Leary (NZ) take to the stage.
Eleven comedians will see out GC Laughs Festival on the final night, Saturday 23 March, including The Umbilical Brothers (AU), Ivan Aristeguieta (SA), Sam Taunton (VIC), Ben Kochan (NSW), Tom Cashman (NSW), Mel Buttle (QLD), Tom Walker (VIC), Tommy Little (VIC), Ben Russell (VIC), Danielle Walker (VIC) and Ed Byrne(UK).
Australian TV and radio sensation Tommy Little returns to bring the laughs with this show Tommy Little Has A Regular Size Deck. Packaged up with razor sharp-wit, wild stories and infectious energy on being a ‘deckhead’.
Byrne will round out the festival with his show Tragedy Plus Time – a show where Ed mines the most tragic event in his life all in the good name for laughs.
This year, the GC Laughs Festival will present at least one international comedian every evening, including Ed Byrne (Ireland), Takashi Wakasugi (Japan), Schalk Bezuidenhout (South Africa), Micky Bartlett (UK), Ray O’Leary (NZ), Ivan Aristeguieta (South American born), He Huang (China), and Fern Brady (Scotland).
“We’re so pumped to be bringing the sixth GC Laughs Festival to the Gold Coast in just under a month’s time and we hope you’re ready for a big dose of unfiltered hilarity,” GC Laughs Festival Director, Josh Armstrong said.
“This year the line-up is massive, showcasing the who’s who of comedy royalty from right around Australia and the world. We have more than 35 comedians performing across 40 shows over six chaotic, jam-packed nights.”
“The past five-years have seen more than 25,000 comedy fans flock to HOTA, and we’re hoping to see even bigger numbers this year with most shows already at capacity and limited tickets remaining. We can’t wait to welcome this bill of comedians to the Gold Coast for another massive year of laughs.”
Up late and well after dark in HOTA’s Basement, Late Laughs is the perfect nightcap. On from 10pm on Saturday 16and Saturday 23 March, Late Laughs is a loose line-up of festival favourites and drop-in stars for anybody who likes their comedy a little crazy.
With a stacked calendar of events by the best in comedy, the GC Laughs Festival 2024 will have audiences in stitches as it delivers a healthy dose of knee-slapping hysterics set to have you giggling for nights on end.
Don’t miss the GC Laughs Festival at HOTA, Home of the Arts from March 15-23.
Tickets are on sale now. They can be purchased at www.gclaughs.com.au or via the HOTA Box Office – (07) 5588 4000.
For more information on the festival, visit www.gclaughs.com.au
Media contact: emily@m10.com.au