The Laugh Resort brings a Fringe binge of comedy to the heart of the city

The southern hemisphere’s longest-running comedy club is back, delivering its seventh Fringe World season in Perth’s Yagan Square, with over 80 local and international comedians set to perform from Friday, January 17 until Sunday, February 16.

A mainstay comedy hub since the festival’s inception, The Laugh Resort exists to champion WA comedic talent and has spawned some of the industry’s biggest names in the not-for-profit’s three-plus decades. True to form, this summer’s annual program of over 20 shows features at least 50% WA artists alongside its hand-picked visiting acts.

Manager Di Star said platforming homegrown creatives in this international festival context not only benefits audiences and artists, but is fundamental to Fringe. “In this open-access model, where anyone can put on a show, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and gravitate towards names you know. But they all started somewhere.”

“Our program’s shortlisted a top 10% of the fest’s 250 comedies for you, curating the best acts of their kind—from the emerging to the acclaimed—in one place, so you can pick anything, or make a night of a few shows back-to-back, and know the odds of having a good time and some great laughs are extremely high,” said Star.

Three shows here in the past six years have won Fringe World’s Best Comedy Award, all from WA. Two previous winners return in 2025 with brand new shows when the Club ramps up from its year-round monthly Yagan Square residency to host 85 performances of 24 events over 23 days, from Wednesday until Sunday, all festival long.

The Laugh Resort’s regular monthly show on Wednesday, January 15, will serve as the Club’s Fringe preview, a sampler of the upcoming five-week program, including international acts who have arrived in Perth early for the festival.

A different line-up of nine featured and guest comedians continues as The Laugh Resort 9 AT 9 takes place every Wednesday from 9pm during Fringe. In a first this year, all Wednesday showcases (Jan 15–Feb 12) will be Auslan interpreted.

The festival’s opening weekend kicks off with two of several shows this season delivering a comic hour of life hacks. Previous Best Comedy winner Luke Bolland presents How to Live Forever, about leaving an awesome lasting legacy, and lawyer-turned-comedian-turned-festival-organiser Tess Birch delivers How NOT to Run a Musical Festival, after delivering Victoria’s real and final eighth Loch Hart festival.

Those who like their laughs loose and up late can enjoy three nights of the 10th Annual Haters’ Ball, the Edinburgh hit in Perth for the first time, seeing the Fringe’s funniest guests ‘hate’ on topics the audience suggests. The first two Friday and Saturday nights of Fringe will also feature an up-late showcase of the festival’s top Black and African comics with, Black Laughs Matter, hosted by award-winning Kenyan-Aussie comic Vincent Tshaka.

The festival’s youngest comic, Albany’s 18-year-old Class Clowns national finalist Hardy Croucher, presents his Fringe debut, The Good, The Bad & The Hardy, with several weekend matinee shows.

Millennial wellness guru and emerging comic Gemma Frances also debuts in four weekend afternoons as the Unhinged Oracle, a spicy, unscripted mash-up of comedy and fortune-telling, assisted by ‘high priestess’ Courtney Maldo.

In the festival’s first full week, the Club welcomes two artists for the first time whose world premieres pair perfectly. Maren May Reads Between No Lines follows 2024’s debut and sees May mine her life of missed social cues and cultural misunderstandings for comedy gold, directed by Perth’s Claire Hooper.

Meanwhile, the second of three Albany-born acts this season, Rose Bishop returns from Melbourne with her debut hour on confidence, cats, and the ordeal of being seen: Clap if You’re Mad At Me.

The lead-up to January 26 welcomes Deadly Funny national champ Fabian Woods and a supporting cast of rising star First Nations comics in the new show Moorditj (Noongar for ‘strong’), performing two of four shows on Australia Day.

Hometown fave freestyle rapper Macshane bookends the weekend with two shows only of his new hour, using audience input to create chaotically comic rhymes in Attention Deficit Rap Disorder.

Mid-fest sees an influx of guests. Off the back of The Little Dum Dum Club ending a massive 14 years of podcasting, co-host Tommy Dassalo—also a writer, illustrator, and video game creator—brings a new festival hour of comedy and cartoons, Main Character, to the Laugh Resort stage.

Singapore-based South African Devin Gray makes his debut down under with his first solo show, How to Get Away with Marriage, featuring his ‘humourcidal’ attempts at navigating matrimony and cultural differences with his German life partner in crime.

US comic and scientist Robyn Perkins follows her 2024 hit with new comedic and expert guests and topics for her laughing and learning panel show, Comedy for the Curious, with two nights each on the science of ‘Conspiracy Theories’ and ‘Competitiveness.’

UK expat Andrew Silverwood joins Robyn up late for two weekends co-hosting Abroad: The International Comedy Gameshow, seeing guests from different countries compete for comic supremacy.

Closer to home, it’s all fun and games ‘til they call Mum’s Time Out—then the fun really starts! This is The Motherhood‘s comic, media personality, and WA Greens candidate Simone Springer’s new hour on turning 40 and parenting after divorce. While fellow West Aussie (Albany-born, based in the NT) Amy Hetherington follows her Fringe World ‘23 Best Comedy with an hour on the joys of being a new mum, Proud as Punch.

Two of the circuit’s bonafide best blokes hit Fringe’s final fortnight. Amy’s frequent tour buddy and salt-of-the-earth Aussie funny bugger, Kel Balnaves, brings two nights only of Where the Bloody Hell Am I?; and international multi-awarded Brit Gordon Southern debuts his new hour Great Southern Man, on having a life and heart split between the UK and his adopted home down under.

Sharing more hilarious life-hacking, queen of side-hustles Rose Callaghan is back to premiere her tale of accidentally going viral on LinkedIn and becoming a motivational speaker with I’m not a girlboss, not yet a womanboss. While acclaimed Queensland comic and psych graduate Shayne Hunter teams up with Perth’s funniest South African, Chris Pucillo, to improve our life and workplace interactions with their hour of problem-solving sketches and standup: Love Hurts, Work Sucks: Comedians on Conflict & Communication.

Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or don’t, Thursday, February 13 offers a new friendship celebration that’s become a live show.

The Club’s seventh annual Galentine’s Day Gala features the fest’s finest comics of the female persuasion, hosted by The Motherhood star and face of Oz Lotterée, Fringe World ‘24 Best Comedy winner Emma Krause.

For Fringe’s finale from Wednesday, February 12, to Sunday, February 16, UK media commentator and comic Kate Smurthwaite brings Perth her drag king alter ego for the first time with the toxic masculinity take-down, Milo Standards: Penis De Milo.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Director’s Choice winner Takashi Wakasugi rounds out the overseas guest list, closing the fest with his follow-up to the hit Japanese Aussie, premiering Comedy Samurai.

With something for every taste in humour (for ages 15+), comfy seats, cool air conditioning, and discounted show-goer dining, The Laugh Resort is the perfect place to catch a show and enjoy a Fringe World comedy binge.

The Laugh Resort’s Fringe World season is on sale now at fringeworld.com.au