Goodwill Comedy Club is a feel-good comedy night, with no mean-spirited crowd work.

Highlighting diverse voices, presenting newcomers and seasoned comedians alike.

Dress up to win the coveted 'Best Dressed' Award, and two free tickets to the next show.

Goodwill Comedy Club is monthly comedy night, with a rotating line-up showcasing local and Melbourne acts.

Produced and hosted by award-winning comedian Neptune Henriksen, at Ellington’s Wine Bar, Ballarat Central.

Upcoming shows:

7pm Thurs 6 Feb 2025 - Valentine’s Special - Dress Up Theme: Pink & Red

7pm Thurs 6 March 2025 - Autumn Special - Dress Up Theme: Falling Leaves

7pm Thurs 3 April 2025 - Easter Special - Dress Up Theme: Bunnies & Eggs

TICKETS HERE

Please note: Goodwill does not mean “clean” or “family friendly” - there will be mature content.
Including: course language, sexual references, drug references, and more

  • What's the show like? Goodwill Comedy Club is a feel-good comedy night with no mean crowd work, which focuses on inclusion, and making people from all walks of life, feel welcome. Hosted by award-winning queer comedian, Neptune Henriksen, there will be call-and-response games, an emphasis on diverse voices, and a prize for Best Dressed.

    Do I have to dress up? Not at all. The dress-up theme is a fun way to participate in the night. But dress however you feel, no one will be put down for their outfit.

    Show time and duration? Doors 6:30pm, Show 7pm. Runtime: 75min (with interval)

    Venue address? Ellington's Wine Bar, 405A Sturt Street, Ballarat Central. More info here.

    Performance space? The performance space is up one flight of stairs (please contact Neptune Henriksen if anyone needs assistance getting up or down the stairs and/or extra time). It's a long room, with air conditioning, and a mix of cabaret style seating and theatre style seating.

    Toilets? Ellington's has toilets on the ground floor (please contact Neptune Henriksen if anyone needs assistance getting up or down the stairs and/or extra time), these toilets are gender neutral/self-contained.

    Food and drinks? Ellington's serves food and drinks, and patrons can order during the show, there's a bar upstairs, and food will be brought to the table. View Ellington’s Menu here.

    Parking? There's street parking out the front (Sturt Street), and on either side street (Dawson Street or Doveton Street).

    Train (Vline)/ Coach? If you're travelling by train or coach into Ballarat, the venue is a 10-15min walk from Ballarat Station. There's also a taxi rank at the station, which is a 3min drive.

    Local buses? The closest bus stop is Central Square Shopping Centre, a 1-2min walk, which runs services 11, 22, 24, 25, 26

Neptune's Comedy School is a way for newcomers to receive some free support and guidance, in preparation for their first gig.

With 2 x 45min FREE one-on-one coaching sessions, newcomers can hone their material, before debuting on the Goodwill Comedy Club line-up.

Neptune hopes their Comedy School will give those who've always been curious about comedy, an extra boost to get on stage.

Priority will be given to anyone from a marginalised background. This School is primarily for the queer community, women, POC, disabled people, etc.

READ THE FAQ BELOW, and when you’re ready to sign up, fill out the contact form.

FAQs

Do I have to perform?

In short, yes. Neptune’s Comedy School is a fast-track to get on stage. If you’re not yet ready to perform, see the Workshops & Directing page for more information on in-depth one-on-one coaching.

Is it really free? How?

Yes. For experienced performers, this is a paid gig. So, instead of you paying for coaching, then being paid for the gig, the coaching is free and the gig is unpaid.

Is it only stand-up?

Not necessarily, it can be any style of performance - character comedy, clowning, storytelling, sketch - anything! Neptune has experience in many performance styles, having written, directed, and performed theatre, character comedy, dance, musical comedy, as well as stand-up, so the sky’s the limit. If you’ve got jokes, any form is more than welcome.

What are Neptune’s qualifications?

Neptune is an award-winning comedian with 14 years’ experience. They have directed six of their own comedy shows, three shows by other comedians, and run workshops at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.

Read more about them here: RESUME