The north coast comedic baton, or more appropriately, a microphone, has been passed over, with Mandy Nolan saying she will retire from stand-up comedy.
Yet Mandy fans need not fret, she says she will continue to MC fundraisers, facilitate and chair corporate/community events, deliver keynotes and continue her speaker training.
Running out of failings
She told The Echo, ‘I have performed as a stand-up comedian for 40 years, but feel like it’s time to reinvent myself. There’s only so long you can expose your failings to a group of people in a pub. I was literally running out of failings. And I have a lot!’
She added, ‘Part of teaching and mentoring is about legacy, and it’s about handing on to other people to continue to build. It feels right to hand the baton on to Ellen Briggs’.
It’s a big change for Mandy, who recently ran unsuccessfully for the Richmond federal seat as a Greens candidate.
She came a close second to Labor incumbent Justine Elliot by 3,517 votes.
Mandy has vowed to run again in 2028.
Ellen takes on comedy course, all comedy gigs
Comedian Ellen Briggs will not only take on Mandy’s comedy course, but all her comedy gigs from Tweed to Ballina, and everywhere in between.
Ellen is no stranger to the stage, having performed with Mandy, as well as her own shows, for over a decade.
She told The Echo, ‘Sadly, our comedy duo, Women Like Us, is over.
As for Mandy’s legendary comedy course, Ellen quips that they are tall shoes to fill.
She says, ‘It’s such a popular course, mainly because many people were prepared to pay money to hang out with Mandy!’
‘Not everyone does it for comedy or to be a stand-up. Sometimes it’s on a bucket list, or a way to improve public speaking and gain confidence’, says Ellen.
Spaces available
There’s still a few spaces available for the course, which will be held at the Byron College on Monday nights, from 6pm to 9pm, running from June 3 to 24, then the show on July 1.
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