The Comedy Writers Group
The Comedy Writers Group is here to get into the weeds of all things comedy. We're determined to de-mystify the worlds of stand-up comedy, sketch, and screenwriting in an effort to make this world a lot more approachable for newcomers. This podcast is designed to get you inspired to create. Perfect for folks interested in getting to comedy as a career, hobby, or just the comedy-curious. Brought to you by Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.Subscribe to the Comedy Writers Group patreon to access all the episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 143 - Satirist (with Mark Humphries)
This week I'm joined by the brilliant Mark Humphries to talk about his new documentary SOLD! Who Broke The Australian Dream?
We chat about how Mark came to comedy, his brush with stand-up, the importance of collaboration, how to make serious topics funny, and the not-so-fun-parts of making stuff like getting called out by Media Watch.
Follow Mark Humphries on instagram.
Watch the documentary available on Binge.
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Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon...
Episode 142 - Moving to the UK (with Peter Jones)
This week I'm joined by the great Peter Jones! Originally from Melbourne, now residing in London, I wanted to pick Pete's brain about the move and adapting to a new scene. We chat about Edinburgh Fringe, the comedy "middle-class", and how he came to put out his first special.
You can watch Pete's first special here.
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Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access our exclusive facebook...
Bonus Episode - Inside the Workshop Session
Free to listen for a limited time only. On this week's bonus episode you get to be a fly on the wall in one of our online Comedy Workshop Sessions.
Hear what it's like to come along to one of our weekly sessions with new material from Laura Bruce and Kirsty Carr.
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Episode 141 - The Road to Ed Fringe (with Bec Hill)
The great Bec Hill makes her triumphant return to the podcast to chat about her new show coming to the Edinburgh Fringe... at least that was the intention. We ended up talking a great deal about writers block, the nervous system, and the value of BREATHING. It's an excellent chat that should leave you feeling totally inspired.
Expect a lot of shout-outs of folks to check out at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
Follow Bec and go see her new show!
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Episode 140 - Getting Published (with Patrick Lenton)
I'm joined by Patrick Lenton on the podcast this week to talk about his debut novel!
We get stuck into the behind-the-scenes of how the novel came to be, the realities life as a freelance writer, romantic comedies, the development process, and the emotions that come with the novel's impending release.
Patrick's novel, In Spite of You will hit shelves in early August.
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Episode 139 - Gratitude (with Aunty Janty)
On this week's episode I'm joined by the brilliant Janty Blair AKA Aunty Janty.
We chat about the importance of gratitude and Janty's astounding story of coming to comedy in her fifties. We also talk about going on tour, the value of collaboration, and there's a celebrity cameo or two!
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Episode 138 - Group Workshop (with Roisin McAlinden, Freddie Arthur, and Andy Procopis)
This week I'm joined by CWG members Roisin, Freddie, and Andy to workshop some new material. This episode goes places! Dark and racy ones! You won't want to play this one with the kids in the car.
We chat about "bringer" shows, what it's like to perform nude, before getting into new jokes ranging from shower caddy politics to mental health honesty on dating apps.
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Episode 137 - Get a Hobby (with Maddy Weeks)
This week I'm joined by Maddy Weeks (Best Newcomer Nominee 2024) to chat about how they came to comedy, circus school, props, and how what you wear on stage can say a lot about your act.
We also chat a lot about the value of hobbies outside of comedy, thanks to my mum for the great listener-submitted question!
Follow Maddy Weeks.
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Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access...
Episode 136 - What Is The Show? (with Ethan Cavanagh)
On this week's episode I'm joined by Ethan Cavanagh (In Pour Taste, The Late Nite PowerPoint Showcase, MICF Best Newcomer Nominee 2025) to chat how he approaches putting on a show, how he started comedy in high school, how to hook an audience, and navigating full-time comedy.
Follow Ethan.
Follow your host, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access our exclusive facebook / discord, and come along to our weekly online writing and workshop sessions.<...
Episode 135 - Is This Anything? (with Fiona Cox & Steph Broadbridge)
This week I've invited my mates Fiona Cox and Steph Broadbridge to come swap some jokes. We chat ear wax, legroom, and the perils of fame. We also get stuck into how to manage leaving full-time work for comedy.
Follow Fiona Cox.
Follow Steph Broadbridge.
Donate to Breaking The Musical's crowdfund campaign.
Follow your host, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access our exclusive facebook / discord, and come...
Episode 134 - Weirdo (with Ben Russell)
This week I'm joined by stand-up, improviser, actor, and beautiful weirdo, Ben Russell. We chat about how the American and Australian comedy scenes compare, his relationship with improv, comedy classes, how it all began, and what's next.
Follow Ben Russell.
Follow your host, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access our exclusive facebook / discord, and come along to our weekly online writing and workshop sessions.
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Episode 133 - Is This Anything? (with Lana Walters)
This week I'm joined by Lana Walters (Billy T Award Winner, 7 Days, The Project NZ) to workshop some new bits!
Before we get into chatting new material, we discuss what it's like to be a comedy judge, winning awards, and how Lana got into stand-up.
Follow Lana on instagram.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access our exclusive facebook group, and come along to our weekly online writing and workshop sessions.
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Episode 132 - Going Viral (with Emerson Brophy)
This week I'm joined by musical comedian and viral sensation, Emerson Brophy to chat about his experience making music on the world wide web! Emerson has millions of views across the various platforms. We chat about the early days, lockdown, social commentary, and the move to live shows.
Become a member to get this week's bonus episode with EXTRA EMERSON where we talk about building a song from scratch.
Follow Emerson all over the internet!
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus...
Episode 131 - Live at MICF (with Amy Hetherington and David Quirk)
It's our final episode of our live series recorded at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I'm joined by special guest co-host Amy Hetherington (award-winning comedian and Queen of Darwin comedy) and cult-fave David Quirk (Rosehaven, Please Like Me).
We chat about the challenges around festivals, tackling tough subject matter, the ambition required to maintain a career, and finding your crowd. Amy and David have so much wisdom to share, I think you'll love this episode.
Follow Amy and David on socials and be sure to see their shows when they're in your neck...
Episode 130 - NZ DJ (with David Correos)
On this week's episode I'm joined by the brilliant David Correos!
We chat about David's unusual route to comedy, what he learned on Taskmaster, outsider art, and how his latest show combines stand-up and a rave.
David is currently on tour so make sure you catch him when he's in your neighbourhood.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall, access our exclusive facebook group, and come along to our weekly online writing and workshop sessions.
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Episode 129 - LIVE at MICF (with Bron Lewis & Laura Davis)
This week we have our second LIVE episode from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I'm joined by guest co-host Bron Lewis (Have You Been Paying Attention? Thank God You're Here) and Laura Davis (twice nominated Most Outstanding Show and cult-favourite). We cover a lot of ground from crowdwork's oversaturation, ticket sales, and different approaches to writing and editing.
Bron and Laura have finished their MICF seasons but be sure to follow them so you can catch them when they're next in your neighbourhood.
Recorded April 6th at The Theory Bar.
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Episode 128 - Moving to NYC (with Blake Freeman)
On this week's episode I'm joined by the brilliant Blake Freeman (Question Everything, The MICF Gala, Best Newcomer Winner) to chat about his move to New York. We get into the highs and the lows of moving to a new scene before digging into a chunk from his new show.
If you're in Melbourne there's one more week to catch Blake at MICF. Follow Blake on instagram and be sure to grab tickets.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and join the patreon to get weekly bonus episodes, 90+ episodes behind the paywall...
Episode 127 - LIVE at MICF (with Olga Koch, Kate Dolan, and Dane Simpson)
A special live episode recorded at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival featuring Olga Koch (Live at the Apollo, QI), Kate Dolan (award-winning cult favourite), and Dane Simpson (MICF Gala, The Emu War).
We chat about the Australian comedy scene, making money, the value of public speaking skills, and workshop a new joke from Dane Simpson.
We have one more LIVE episode coming up on the 13th of April. Grab your tickets.
Follow Dane, Kate, Olga, and go see their shows!
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Episode 126 - MICF Call-In Special (with Louisa, Freddie, Oliver, Laura, Lauren, and Jess)
Something a little different this week! The phone lines are open to members of Comedy Writers Group community performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I wanted to give members an opportunity to tell listeners about their show and to talk about what was on their mind like a good old fashioned advice line.\
Across the episode we chat healthy habits, pacing yourself, finding the fun, online marketing, editing your show, and what to do after the festival.
Make sure you follow Louisa Jones, Freddie Arthur, Oliver Hunter, Laura Bruce, Lauren Edwards, and...
Episode 125 - The Indian Comedy Scene (with Anirban Dasgupta)
This week I'm joined by the brilliant Anirban Dasgupta to chat about pursuing comedy in India. We chat about the beginning of the Indian stand-up scene, doing comedy in Australia, producing gigs, and we discuss Anirban's latest show Cry Daddy coming to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Follow Anirban and go see his show when he comes to your town.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and sign up for the patreon to unlock the back catalogue and bonus episodes.
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Episode 124 - Prop Comic (with Emma Holland)
This week I'm joined by the magnificent Emma Holland! You might know Emma from Have You Been Paying Attention and Thank God You're Here. She's also on the upcoming season of Taskmaster Australia. I chat to Emma about her Raw Comedy experience, building community, writing for TV, and managing a hefty work schedule.
Forgive this episode being recorded out of the studio - fortunately the content is excellent - it just lacks that studio crispness!
Follow Emma and go see her show when it gets to your town.
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Episode 123 - Let's Make A Show Part 2 (with Stephanie Hare)
Stephanie Hare returns as we continue the journey of developing a show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I wanted to give listeners a sense of how I direct a show, and to let you be a fly-on-the-wall as a stand-up show comes to life
.
Make sure you listen to Part 1 first!
Follow Stephanie and grab tickets to her show.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and sign up for the patreon to unlock the back catalogue and bonus episodes.
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Episode 122 - Rejection Therapy (with Kate Dolan)
The brilliant Kate Dolan returns to the podcast to chat about all the ups and downs since we last talked. We talk about content creation, the fear of rejection, developing a show, shooting a special, making comedy a viable enterprise, and much more. It's also a very silly episode.
Go see Kate Dolan when she comes to your city.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and sign up for the patreon to unlock the back catalogue and bonus episodes.
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Episode 121- One-Liner Comedian (with Mark Simmons)
I'm joined by expert one-liner comedian, Mark Simmons, all the way from the UK. We chat about Mark's love affair with the one-liner, how he came to comedy (via a member of the CWG), branding, joke competitions, and being accused of joke thievery.
Mark has a new special out called Quip Off The Mark that you can check out on Youtube.
He's also on tour so make sure you follow Mark so you can see him when we comes to your neighbourhood.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and si...
Episode 120 - Making a Musical (with Steph Broadbridge)
The magnificent Steph Broadbridge returns to the podcast to chat about Breaking The Musical, a show that has already taken the world by storm despite the fact it hasn't even opened yet. We talk about the origin of the idea, rehearsal, and what is going through Steph's mind this close to the debut at the Adelaide Fringe.
We also chat about Steph's experience as a judge for the Raw Comedy competition and what catches her eye from the judges' table.
Follow Steph and grab tickets to the show in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.
...Episode 119 - They / Hehe (with Han Arbuthnott)
This week we're joined by the brilliant Han Arbuthnott. We chat about starting comedy in High School, neurodiversity, coming out, identity, and more. It's a great chat and you should go see Han at the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Follow Han here.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and sign up for the patreon to unlock the back catalogue and bonus episodes.
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Episode 118 - "That Guy" (with Jason Geary)
On this week's episode I'm joined by improviser and actor Jason Geary. We chat about Jason's thirty year career from his appearances in shows like Thank God You're Here, Skithouse, Neighbours, and Fisk, to his first love of improv.
Follow Jason here.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and sign up for the patreon to unlock the back catalogue and bonus episodes.
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Episode 117 - Let's Make a Show (with Stephanie Hare)
I wanted to give you insight into what's involved in directing a show from scratch. This week I'm joined by Stephanie Hare (Raw Comedy National Finalist 2024) for our first directing session. I wanted this episode to emulate a one-on-one as closely as possible.
We'll check back in with Stephanie in the bonus feed so sign up to the Podcast Fan tier if you want to go on the journey together.
We also chat about Steph's experience at the Raw National Finals and opening for Maria Bamford on her Australian tour.
...
Episode 116 - Black Girl Panic (with Jasmine Ellis)
This week I'm joined by special guest Jasmine Ellis all the way from LA. We talk about what it takes to make it as a comedian in LA, getting attention online, the hustle, ADHD comedy, and her new special Black Girl Panic.
Follow Jasmine here and find links to all her brilliant content.
Follow The Comedy Writers Group on instagram and sign up on patreon to unlock bonus episodes.
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Episode 115 - Send in the Clowns (with Mel McGlensey & Belinda Anderson-Hunt)
This week we have special guests Mel McGlensey and Belinda Anderson-Hunt. Mel and Bel are both brilliant comedians and Gaulier graduates. I wanted to ask them about their experience in clowning and how it has informed their work. We also chat about improv, festival shows, and attempt to get to the heart of what 'clowning' is to them.
Follow Mel.
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Episode 114 - Best of 2024 - Part 2 (with Freya Reviews)
We’re counting down the comedy highlights of the year that was. Featuring special guest, Freya Reviews. In Part 2 we finish talking favourite specials before talking about our top live experiences, and personal achievements. We also announce the Top 5 episodes of the year - and The CWG Comedian of the Year!
What did you love? What did we miss?
Follow Freya.
Follow your host, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.
Grab the remaining tickets for the Comedy Writers Retreat!
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Episode 113 - Best of 2024 - Part 1 (with Freya Reviews)
We’re counting down the comedy highlights of the year that was. Featuring special guest, Freya Reviews. In Part 1 we cover our favourite TV shows, movies, and specials of 2024. We also have an much overdue catch-up!
What did you love? What did we miss?
Follow Freya.
Follow your host, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.
Grab the remaining tickets for the Comedy Writers Retreat!
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Episode 112 - Finding Your Comic Genius (with Adam Bloom)
Adam Bloom, author of Finding Your Comic Genius, is my guest this week. Adam is a comedian with thirty years of experience and his book on writing and performing stand-up. His book, released in 2023, has become a hit among comedians so I was eager to find out the story behind its author.
We chat about how Adam came to write the book, self-publishing, touring, networking, and more. We also have some great listener submitted questions too.
Buy the book here.
Follow Adam on instagram.
Become a subscriber of...
Episode 111 - Group Workshop (with Lauren Edwards & Nicolette Minster)
Let's run some brand new jokes with special guests Lauren Edwards and Nicolette Minster. Lauren and Nicolette are brilliant stand-up comedians with shows coming up at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (they're also members of the CWG - what a brag.)
We chat about coming to stand-up comedy "a little later" in life before getting stuck into workshopping some brand new material from the three of us. Expect farts, robots, and phantoms.
Follow Lauren and Nicolette for all the info about their upcoming shows.
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Episode 110 - A Different Direction (with Maggie Looke)
My guest this week is Maggie Looke, award-winning writer, producer, and director. She has written for shows like Hard Quiz and Have You Been Paying Attention and directed massive hit shows like Ultimate Hollywood Tours and Bronwyn Kuss' 2024 show which was awarded The Pinder Prize.
We chat about Maggie's various roles behind-the-scenes and how it has led to being an in-demand writer and director.
Follow Maggie on instagram.
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Episode 109 - Making it Up (with Steen Raskopoulos)
The brilliant Steen Raskopolous is my guest on the show this week. You might know Steen from his several screen credits including The Office Australia, The Duchess, and Feel Good or you might know him from his incredible work as an improviser and solo performer in shows like The Bear Pack and his award-winning solo shows.
We chat about Steen's life moving to the UK, how improv has influenced his career, the value of mentorship, and how he's still making it up as he goes along.
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Follow your ho...
Episode 108 - Chronic Comedy (with Hayley Edwards)
Hayley Edwards is my guest on the podcast this week. Hayley is actor who recently saw a huge amount of acclaim for the Melbourne Fringe production of their play Shitbag which they wrote, produced, and performed.
We chat about how the play came to be and how Hayley turns challenging subject matter into comedy. We also discuss Hayley's journey to one-person-shows and the trickiness of labels.
Follow Hayley on instagram.
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Sign up to the Comedy Writers Group on patreon to access all...
Episode 107 - Doing the Work (with Luke Heggie)
The great Luke Heggie is my guest on the podcast this week.
Heggie is an incredible comedian and one of my all-time favourites. He has sold-out shows, appeared on shows like the MICF Gala, Question Everything, and Just For Laughs.
We chat about how Heggie approaches stand-up, making it a job, building audiences, and quality control. It's a great chat.
Follow Luke on instagram and check out his podcast Mid-Flight Brawl.
Follow your host, Marcel Blanch-de Wilt.
Unlock all the episodes of CWG via t...
Episode 106 - How's It Going in the USA (with Myq Kaplan)
I'm joined this week by the brilliant Myq Kaplan all the way from NYC. Myq is an incredible comedian with decades of experience and a remarkable CV, with appearances on Conan, Letterman, Seth Meyers, and more. With the US Election taking up all the news, I wanted to hear how it was all going from a comedian's point of view.
We chat about life as an American comedian, how Myq approaches joke writing, building a career, and how Myq plans to manage another Trump presidency.
Find links to Myq's work including his albums, specials...
Episode 105 - Directing Comedy (with Dylan Murphy)
On this week's episode I'm joined by Dylan Murphy. Along with being a Raw National Finalist, Dylan is also a sought-after comedy director having worked with Scout Boxall, Hannah Camilleri, and Dougie Baldwin.
We chat about Dylan's approach to directing, how he got into comedy, and the value of collaboration.
Follow Dylan on instagram.
Buy tickets to Marcel & "Friends" at The Improv Conspiracy Nov 9th.
Catch The Newlyweds at Improv Theatre Sydney on Nov 14th.
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