What’s the idea behind Laugh Hard and The Official Top Ten Night?
The Official Top Ten Night exists to put on events that bring communities together, born from a love of top ten lists. It started with me and a mate sharing our Top Ten Songs lists and telling the stories behind the songs. We realised in that short time that we’d learned so much about each other. All our events support Suicide Prevention Australia due to my own lived experience of suicide, and Laugh Hard aims to enable people to enjoy an evening of a laughter while raising vital awareness.
How does the top ten theme fit in with the upcoming Manning Bar event?
Each event has a top ten element to it and, on the night, the performers will be ‘playing’ the Top Ten Theatresports Games, according to popularity. Think Whose Line Is It Anyway? and you’re not far away. We run an annual nationwide songwriters’ festival, an international filmmakers’ festival and other movies, games and sports events, and felt the time was right to introduce a comedy event.
Who’ll be performing on the night?
We’re very fortunate to have some incredible people involved including Danielle Cormack and Socratis Otto (TOTTN Ambassador) from TV’s Wentworth, TV’s Darren Gilshenan, blogger extraordinaire Lisa Clark, Cranston Cup winner Rob Boddington, Benny Davis from Axis Of Awesome and music from DJ Jesabel!
How will the event support this important cause?
Not only will funds be raised, through ticket sales, for Suicide Prevention Australia but awareness will be high on the agenda as we aim to show that laughter is the best medicine. Mental health issues are prevalent in the comedy sector, in particular with travelling comedians, and the event will go some way to raising awareness for this too.
If you could only choose one thing to make a top ten list about next, what would it be?
Well I think it would have to be Top Ten Comedians, given how close we are to Laugh Hard. I’ve been watching a lot of comedy recently and discovering old favourites and up-and-coming stars of the future, some of which will be on the stage on March 31!
[Above: Benny Davis from Axis Of Awesome]
SupportSuicide Prevention Australia atLaugh Hard, Friday March 31 at Manning Bar.
