Territorian Desmo Lewis heads to International Comedy Festival in Melbourne

Tennant Creek-born Desmo Lewis loves laughter. After winning the Darwin heat, she is set to perform in Melbourne as part of Australia’s biggest First Nations comedy competition.

Desmo Lewis is a born and bred Territorian who loves to make people laugh.

Although telling funny stories to friends and family comes naturally to her, doing it on stage in front of a live audience has taken years of practice.

“Comedy in front of people is a totally different beast from anything else I’ve done,” Ms Lewis said.

“I get nervous, I shake like a leaf.”

Despite her nerves, Ms Lewis has just won the Darwin heat of the Deadly Funny Competition and will be flown to Melbourne next year to compete in the national grand final as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Desmo Lewis poses at her home in Darwin. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“I won, so I was really pleased with that,” Ms Lewis said.

The event, in its third year, took place at the Darwin Entertainment Centre.

“It was really good, really fun. The audience was really receptive, they responded to all my jokes,” she said.

Deadly Funny is Australia’s only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedy competition and is designed by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to unearth fresh, funny and powerful comedians across the country.

State and territory winners receive a $1000 cash prize and compete for the national title and a $3000 cash prize.

Ms Lewis said she wanted to give it “a red-hot go” and her true ambition was to continue making people laugh.

Comedian Desmo Lewis on stage at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. Picture: Supplied

The Tennant Creek born comedian has been doing stand-up and amateur comedy group performances for six years.

“I’ve got a lot more confident over the years, got better jokes too.

“I love hammy stuff, I love Jim Carrey, over-the-top, hammy type of comedy – that cracks me up.

“Real stuff is the funniest though – I draw inspiration from my family and my life.

“I had an aunt, who loved karaoke, she’d sing every weekend at the local club – well, you’ll have to hear the rest in person, it’s funnier.”

Desmo Lewis loves making people laugh by telling funny stories about real-life experiences. Picture: Supplied

Ms Lewis now lives in Darwin but still has a brother and sister in Tennant Creek.

Their adult children – her nieces and nephews – live in Darwin and she enjoys spending time with them when she is not on stage.

Ms Lewis tries to have as many experiences as possible to help her write sets, even using her experience with chronic illness and dialysis as part of her comedy.

“I like painting, I like writing poetry and stories,” she said.

“But comedy is my favourite thing at the moment.”

Originally published as Territorian Desmo Lewis heads to International Comedy Festival in Melbourne