We started Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School in South Melbourne in 2016 with a simple belief: you don’t have to be a born performer to learn stand-up comedy. Sometimes you just need encouragement, practical tools and a room full of people willing to give it a go alongside you.
Our founder, Morry Morgan, brought a background in education, business and live entertainment. Together with experienced comedians, including our resident coach Brad Oakes, we created a course that helps people turn their ideas and experiences into material they can confidently perform on stage.
Why do we love teaching? Because we get to see people surprise themselves. Someone can arrive on the first evening wondering what they’ve signed up for, then finish the course performing their own comedy in front of a live audience. Watching that confidence grow is a huge part of why we do this.
Our students come from all walks of life. Some dream of becoming professional comedians. Others want to improve their public speaking, challenge themselves or simply do something enjoyable and a little outside their comfort zone. You don’t need ambitions of selling out theatres to belong here.
We’re proud that nine of our graduates have reached the RAW Comedy National Final. We also invite alumni back for paid performances, sometimes giving them their first paid comedy gig. Helping people take those next steps matters to us.
Our teaching combines professional comedy experience with educational expertise. Brad brings more than 35 years in comedy, while Morry holds a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and has taught at institutions including RMIT, UniSA and Hult International Business School. Our guest comedians have included Greg Fleet, Jeff Green, Lehmo and Richard Stubbs.
Something people might not realise is how much of stand-up is craft. Finding a premise, shaping a story, cutting unnecessary words and delivering a punchline are skills you can practise. You don’t have to be the loudest person at the party.
Bring your curiosity, your experiences and a willingness to try. We’ll help you find the funny.