The Morning Show

More about the show

Mandy Nolan

Mandy Nolan has been a comedian for over three decades. As a loud mouth lefty feminist she’s long used the platform not just to make jokes, but also to champion the big issues. She’s not only a domestic violence survivor, she’s brave enough to do a joke about it. Hailed by Wil Anderson as Australia’s ‘funniest non famous comedian’ people have always asked why someone as accomplished and commanding as Nolan has never got the national cut through she deserves. Nolan blames herself ‘I dropped out and moved to Byron Bay when I was 23. Before it was cool. Then I had 5 kids. Three husbands. Then I got old. As a woman that’s not great for business.’

Nolan has delivered a TEDx talk, she’s headlined MICF Roadshow, Sydney Comedy Festival Roadshow and she’s struck comedy gold at Upfront at Melbourne’s Town Hall.

Mandy Nolan has done things differently. She has taught over 2000 people stand up comedy, including Emmy winning Hannah Gadsby, her Women Like Us touring buddy and former RAW finalist Ellen Briggs and this year’s RAW winner Alexandra Hudson. ‘I love mentoring other comics, particularly women. It’s a passion of mine.’

In the Northern Rivers where she lives Mandy jokes are as much part of the vernacular as ay surfspeak. She’s authored The Soapbox, the most popular opinion piece in the region’s iconic Echo newspaper for 21 years. It’s seen her invited to pen pieces for the Sydney Morning Herald, Quarterly magazine Lunchlady and work as one of the most in demand writers and podcast host for Mamamia. Sydney Morning Herald’s Bruce Elder called Nolan ‘the country’s sharpest and wittiest comedic columnist’. Mandy is also the author of 5 books.

Paul McDermott

Paul McDermott is a writer and performer but, primarily, a scribbler. Paul began scribbling from a young age, and has not stopped. He scribbles most days, and has dozens of books filled with scribbles.

Paul went to art school when he was younger, and was on TV for a while as he grew up. Over time, he has been: a comedian, singer, songwriter, columnist, illustrator, poster-designer, book-maker, film-maker, writer-director, and, generally, tried to be a good person.

Paul was the writer/director, set designer, costume maker, poster, t-shirt and merchandise designer and primary creator for The Doug Anthony Allstars ( a seminal Australian comedy musical group).

His writing/performing TV credits include: The Big Gig, DAAS KAPITAL, Good News Week, The Side/Show, Rm 101, Think Tank amongst others.

Alexandra Hudson

Alexandra delightfully staggers and stumbles through life’s experiences, and in doing so stumbled onto a comedy stage. Alexandra is based in East Ballina, unceded Bundjalung country and made her comedy debut in July 2020. Alexandra shares entertaining little musings about her experiences as a disabled woman and her observations about the mostly foreign non-disabled world she lives in. From Alexandra’s perspective she finds it is the non-disabled who are the oddities, and she finds joy in tipping things on their head. Alexandra recently became the joint winner of Raw Comedy Competition National Grand Final 2022 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and is set to compete in an International open mic competition at the Edinburgh Fringe in August.

Janty Blair

Janty Blair is a proud Butchulla, Mununjhali and Woppaburra woman based in Brisbane (Meeanjin), Hervey Bay and Rockhampton. Janty is a gifted stand-up comedian, who won the Deadly Funny Grand Final 2022 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. After nearly four decades in the workforce as a midwife, Janty has taken her life experience of understanding diverse people, improvising and rolling with the punches and paired it with her infectious and uplifting energy to make herself a powerhouse on the stage.

Over the years Janty has had experience organising forums and workshops, facilitating education sessions, hosting and participating in NAIDOC and reconciliation week events. With a love for creative industries and a passion for social justice, Janty uses her stage presence and platform in comedy and keynote speaking to bring joy as well as empower individuals and communities to action. Janty is a burgeoning playwright who loves poetry and singing, she is enrolled in a Bachelor of Fine Arts and aims to create and develop stories that celebrate and showcase First Nations people through media and art.

“Janty Blair from Butchulla, QLD had the audience and judges in stitches”
The Age

Emerald Moon

Emerald Moon is a political campaigner from Mullum, now living in Meanjin/ Brisbane. She is the funnier host on “Serious Danger” – a podcast about our broken political system and its greatest threat: the Greens – with comedian Tom Ballard. She’s also a former Greens candidate and was the frontperson for hardcore punk band Class War.