Weirdest moments on a regional comedy tour

Comedian Amy Hetherington racked up over 30,000km of outback comedy touring in 2024. And she’s in the middle of a big West Australian tour now, with her show Proud As Punch.

At the moment she’s at Perth Fringe (she won the Fringe World best comedy award in 2023) before heading off to Carnarvon, Geraldton, Narrogin, Kalgoorlie, Esperance and Bremer Bay.

Amy tells us comedy is “a strange job at the best of times”, but the Darwin comedian has escalated the weirdness doing gigs in some of the most isolated parts of Australia.

She says: “I’m always keen for a challenge and an adventure, so when I get odd requests for comedy shows in unique places, I’m usually a yes! Over the 10 years of my regional comedy career, I’ve done a few strange ones. Here are the most memorable . . .”

A servo on the Stuart Highway

I once did a show at a service station halfway between Darwin and Katherine. It was a bit of a random pop-up gig, the servo booked me and invited some truck drivers and only three of them came. The servo is closed now . . . I take no responsibility.

Einasleigh Hotel, Queensland

Literally the middle of nowhere. Me and my mate Kel drove a VS Commodore to this country pub and set up a stage on the side of a tin shed. The population of the town went from 11 to 80 and they had a great time. After the show they had a few beers and found a costume box and I must say those Queensland farm boys looked great in wigs and tutus.

Barramundi farm, Darwin

Can’t say you’re a Darwin comedian if you haven’t done a gig at a barra farm. It was brilliant. One hundred and fifty people next to the lake and people could fish during the drinks break. I’m hooked.

Baby-friendly show in a pub

Past few years I’ve been doing baby-friendly shows. Love them; they’re chaotic. I especially love turning particularly blokey outback pubs into creches. Done this a few times and it’s hilarious watching people’s jaws drop when 100 women with prams take over the bar.

Mount Morgan, Queensland

Queensland is in the list again! Go figure. We literally got a phone call to do a pop-up show in the middle of nowhere, they had four people there and one of them drank a two-litre bottle of milk during the show.

Katherine carpark

Gig was booked outside but the organisers forgot to organise lights so everyone went home and grabbed lamps and torches and shone them at me while I told jokes in the carpark.

Tickets: https://linktr.ee/amyhetherington

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DATES WITH AMY

February 5 to 9 Fringe World, Perth

February 12 Carnarvon Yacht Club, Carnarvon

February 13 Batavia Brewing, Geraldton

February 14 New Cornwall Hotel, Narrogin

February 15 Overland Motel, Kalgoorlie

February 16 33 Degrees, Esperance

February 17 Bremer Bay Brewing Company, Bremer Bay