2027 Test Event 2
Description
Love a good laugh but always come away wishing there’d been a 60-minute session that explained all the jokes? Then boy do we have just the thing for you.
Join us as we bring together a panel of some of the nation's wittiest writers to take you behind the scenes and explore the craft of writing compelling comedy, breaking down their instincts, inspirations and the mechanics that go into making audiences snort, chortle, chuckle and lol.
Speakers
Luke Mcgregor
Luke McGregor is a writer, actor, and one of Australia’s favourite comedians. Luke’s comedy career began in Tasmania in 2007 when he entered the RAW Comedy competition after one of the contestants didn’t show up. Flash forward to 2023 Luke hosted the Oxfam Gala for MICF/ABC and in 2025, Luke toured a brand new hour of stand up across Australia with his show Okay, Wow. In-between times, he has brought his undeniable charm to (so) many and (such) varied projects as Luke Warm Sex, Utopia, It’s A Date, The Project, Spicks and Specks, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering (using his economics degree in his ‘Lukenomics’ segment), Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You're Here and Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee. Luke was a contestant on the first series of the Logie-nominated Taskmaster Australia and appeared in The Amazing Race (Celebrity Edition) with his mum, Julie. Good boy. On stage, he has presented sold-out offerings My Soul Mate Is Out Of My League (Best Newcomer MICF 2013), I Worry That I Worry Too Much, and Almost Fixed It across Australia and in the UK. Last year, Luke and Miranda Tapsell stepped into the frame as hosts of Portrait Artist of the Year – a brand-new, eight-part competition series celebrating one of the most accessible and provocative forms of art: the portrait. Last but hardly least, Luke is the co-creator, co-writer, and co-star of the dearly beloved Rosehaven with bestie Celia Pacquola for ABC TV, for which Luke won Most Popular Actor at the 2019 TV Week Logie Awards. “An impeccable sense of comic timing.” ★★★★ The Age
Brenton Thwaites
Since graduating from the Queensland University of Technology in 2010 Brenton has forged a successful film and television career both in Australia and the United States. He played the lead role of “Dick Grayson” in the popular DC superhero series Titans for four seasons from 2018 – 2023. Other US credits include the feature films: Malificent, Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and The Giver. A selection of Australian credits include; Son Of A Gun, Ruben Guthrie, Save Your Legs, Gods Of Egypt and I Met A Girl, on which he was also an Executive Producer. Brenton has just concluded shooting his next Australian project, the film How To Make Gravy directed by Nick Waterman.
Shane Jacobson
Shane Jacobson is a multi-award-winning actor, presenter, producer and entertainer who has worked with some of the biggest names in show business including Jack Thompson, Jeremy Clarkson, Bryan Brown, Jeremy Renner & Guy Pearce. Some of his notable film credits include: The Bourne Legacy, Charlie & Boots with Paul Hogan, Oddball, The Dressmaker with Kate Winslet, Ladies in Black and the hit Aussie classic, Kenny. Shane has been the host of Top Gear Australia, Little Big Shots, The Real Full Monty, The Great Australian Bake Off and a judge on Australia’s Got Talent to name a few. In 2008, Shane won a Helpmann Award for his supporting role in Guys & Dolls. Some of Shane’s other on-stage roles include: The Drowsy Chaperone with Geoffrey Rush, QI Live with Stephen Fry, 8 The Play with Rachel Griffiths, Shane Warne – The Musical with Lisa McCune, Mother & Son with Noeline Brown, The Rocky Horror Show, Hairspray and most recently Midnight: The Cinderella Musical and The Odd Couple with Todd McKenney. As an author, Shane has penned his best-selling bio The Long Road to Overnight Success and his exploration of his life as a motoring tragic in his second book, Rev Head. Shane is a passionate producer of film, television, and events including: The West Gate Bridge Disaster: The Untold Stories documentary, the TV show: ManSpace, That’s Not My Dog! comedy festival and most recently, television comedy specials: The Roast of Paul Hogan and The Roast of John Cleese.
Hosted By
Gen Fricker
Gen Fricker is a comedian, writer and broadcaster known for her sharp wit, warmth and off-beat style. She’s an AWGIE-nominated staff writer for ABC’s Gruen, a regular guest on Question Everything and Have You Been Paying Attention?, and co-host of the podcast Throwing Drinks (Hayu / NBCUniversal). Online, she connects with thousands of fans across Instagram (@genfricker), TikTok (@frickobbxoxo) and Facebook, with her appearance on Question Everything garnering 5 million views across her personal platforms. “Genevieve Fricker is a genius.” – Herald Sun “[Fricker] is down to earth and sweet, but there’s always a bite at the end of every joke.” – Louder Magazine (MICF 2024) A former triple j presenter, Gen has performed sold-out seasons at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival and Sydney Fringe, and appeared at SXSW Sydney and the Edinburgh Fringe. She is currently an Artist In Residence at Brand X’s City of Sydney Creative Studios.
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