COMEDIANS GIVEN GAG ORDER FOR COAST SHOWS
COMEDIAN Dusty Rich has been waiting for the Gold Coast to have its own comedy festival ever since he set foot in Australia nearly three years ago.
The South African-born performer is one of dozens of international and Australian acts performing at the inaugural GC Laughs Festival this weekend.
He said festival cofounders Josh Armstrong and Craig Ivanoff were some of the first to put him on stage after he “started from scratch” by moving here.
“I am an advocate to try and make the Gold Coast the mecca of comedy in Australia because it has that party vibe,” he said.
“I want to be a part of the process of making the Gold Coast the real entertainment city … Josh and Craig have done incredible things to put it together but as soon as they mentioned it I was over the moon.
“The next thing this place needs is a dedicated comedy club, an architecturally built comedy club and then it can become that.”
More than two dozen comedians will take to the stage over the week-long festival including Joel Creasey, Arj Barker and Becky Lucas.
Despite it being the festival’s first year Mr Armstrong insists there’s no last-minute jitters.
“It’s been pretty overwhelming, amazing and exciting … it’s great to have support from big acts and show comedians all around the world that there is demand on the Gold Coast,” he said.