Calling all cranky women with a grievance

AN Australian comedy veteran wants to know what is bothering the women of Geelong.

Byron Bay-based comedian and teacher Mandy Nolan wants will bring her Cranky Woman’s Comedy Course to the Bellarine next month.

The two-day workshop invites women to turn their grievances with the world into a five-minute stand-up routine performed at the end of the course.

With former student Hannah Gadsby going on to have two Netflix specials, Nolan is confident she can help anyone bring their story to the stage.

“Whatever comes up for my students, we turn that into stand-up comedy,” Nolan said.

“If you’re not someone who has sense of humour, I can’t teach that, but comedy has a pretty basic setup and I can show people how to edit.

“I tell people don’t try and be funny, just tell me what you think about this topic.”

Giving women an opportunity to step into the spotlight is particularly important to Nolan.

Whether speaking to women’s issues or the drama at the local grocery store, she said comedy humanises lived experience.

Over her time delivering the course, Nolan has seen women reframe personal challenges and injustices through humour.

“Sometimes people will cry when they tell me [what they’re cranky about] and later we’ll go off and turn something in that into comedy,” she said.

“It’s about what’s real for them and very often what we can laugh at, we can survive.”

Nolan said audiences also benefit from hearing hyper-local stories on stage.

“It’s so refreshing to listen to people who haven’t quite got there or who’ve failed at something or who are admitting something that’s really challenging them,” she said.

“Comedy gives you a space to do that, because let’s be honest, super successful, high achieving people, they’re not funny.”

With more than 30 years’ teaching experience, Nolan says she can guide any interested participant from “cranky to comic”.

No prior performance experience is required.

The Cranky Woman’s Comedy Course runs on Saturday 18 July, with a performance night on Sunday 19 July at Tin Shed, Barwon Heads.

Nolan will also perform her own show on Friday 17 July as part of her weekend-long visit to the region.

For more information, head to mandynolan.com.au