Burnett funny woman gets back to her roots

"I got a lot of work because I was a woman doing it, not really because I was any good!”

FUNNY LADIES: Originally from Wondai, this will be Mandy Nolan's first show in the region. Picture: Mandy Nolan

WHEN Mandy Nolan started her career in comedy, she was just a cheeky 18-year-old journalism student and one of few women brave enough to have a crack in the male dominated profession.

After growing up in Wondai and attending Kingaroy State High School, Ms Nolan made the big move down to Brisbane and began studying at the University of Queensland.

"I got a lot of work because I was a woman doing it, not really because I was any good! But when I hit 30 and had kids, things changed. I started talking about my life and about my frustrations and challenges. Things just started falling into place,” Ms Nolan said.

"I improved almost overnight because I found my voice. I wasn't emulating comedians I admire any more I was talking from my own experience,” she said.

The accomplished performer has travelled far and wide with her comedy shows and has been given the seal of approval by Australia's very own Olivia Newton-John, who described Ms Nolan as having "a wicked, wicked sense of humour.”

Ms Nolan is bringing her two-woman show with fellow performer, Ellen Briggs, to Kingaroy on Saturday December 8.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs are bringing their "Women Like Us" comedy show to the Kingaroy Memorial Hall. Picture: Mandy Nolan

Women Like Us is a two-hour, rapid fire show full of delightfully irreverent comedy, and has received praise at both the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Ms Nolan said is excited to return home to her old stomping ground, with the December show marking the first time she will be performing in the South Burnett.

"Regional shows are great because I find that's where people are most in need of a good night out and a decent laugh. Comedy is very much about connecting people and for us, that's what this show is all about,” Ms Nolan said.

"While I wouldn't bring the kids along on the night, our show isn't just for women, loads of men have come along to our show and had a ball. Women Like Us is about relateable modern day issues men and women will find very amusing,” she said.

A LOT OF LAUGHS: Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs have toured their show "Women Like Us” all over regional Australia and have shows in Chinchilla, Grafton, Katoomba, Guyra and Windorah planned for the coming months. Picture: Mandy Nolan

Light-hearted humour aside, Ms Nolan believes women have come a long way within the comedy scene.

"For women in the industry it's always been hard. You have to be incredibly resilient and you have to push through the tokenism and this sense that the male voice and experience is universal and yours is niche,” she said.

"One day I woke up and went 'Hey! We're 50 per cent of the population, our point of view counts for something!' I think it's why women's comedy is so refreshing. What we have to say hasn't been heard 1000 times already!”

Women Like Us will be on at the Kingaroy Memorial Hall on Saturday December 8, with doors opening at 7pm and the show getting under way at 8pm.

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased from The Lucky Charm Newsagents in Kingaroy, or online.

Women Like Us is A 15+ event.

Originally published as Burnett funny woman gets back to her roots