A laid-back night of laughter

IF you’ve been needing a relaxed local evening out, full of laughs with family or friends, Daniel Connell’s got you covered.

The Melbourne-based award-nominated stand-up comic is bringing his latest solo hour of observational humour to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute on Saturday, 22 October as part of his Gutless Wonder tour.

As audience members will discover, Connell said he’s been a bit annoyed with people this year.

“I take aim at friends having gender reveal parties,” he said.

“I thought I was going to get some inheritance off an aunty who passed away, that’s a big part of the show. There were also a few things that went wrong at her funeral that were all my fault.

“Now lockdown is in the rear vision mirror, we can laugh about that a little bit as well.”

Connell has performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for many years and has been on the bill of both the televised Gala for Oxfam and Allstars Supershow, which shared his work with new national audiences.

He’s been performing comedy across the country for almost 13 years, starting out in Canberra, and has been embedded in the Melbourne scene since 2010, but has never done a solo hour in Ballarat before.

“I’ve done a few line-up shows in Ballarat, and did one at the Mechanics’ Institute, which stuck in my mind, so I’m really keen to bring the solo show there as well,” he said.

“Throughout the year, most nights of the week, you’ll go to varying clubs, some with 10 people in a little dingey alleyway, some with 50.

“Playing a show to a nice crowd in lovely theatres throughout this tour, like the Mechanics’ Institute, is the reward for going out on freezing cold winter nights to test new material to 10 people, for no money,” he laughed.

Visit danielconnell.com.au for tickets.