Mandy Nolan

Mandy Nolan is a funny woman.

A stand up comedian for well over 28 years, audiences adore Mandy on stage, and around Byron Bay where she lives, Mandy-jokes are as much a part of the vernacular as any surf speak.

Her humour is sharp, honest, sometimes self-depreciating, somewhat outrageous, but never cruel or pretentious. Frequently irreverent, it speaks to a diverse audience with no set demographic, no gender, race or religion, occupation or tribe.

Mandy’s stand-up is known and loved for its rapid fire  philandering and esoteric observations that emerge from the musings of what she describes as ‘a woman whose dilemma it is to navigate the new frontiers in the suburban badlands of human relationships and traverse that darkly hypocritical abyss that exists between action and belief.’

One of Australia’s strongest female comedic talents, Mandy Nolan has honed the ability to bring a room to its knees, whether that be Melbourne’s Last Laugh, Gold Coast’s Comedy in the Basement, Brisbane’s Sit Down Comedy Club, the 2000 plus crowds she’s wowed at Jupiter Casino’s Laugh Your Pants Off Gala’s or the 800 strong function of women from VIEW club who all declared Nolan hands down the funniest guest speaker they’d ever had.

Multi-talented Nolan is an accomplished comedian, artist and journalist. A self proclaimed expert on all matters feminine she writes for the Byron Echo where her weekly Soapbox has attracted the admiration and loyalty  of readers for almost two decades. Nolan also writes for Mamamia, was a contributor for Wendy Harmer’s Online magazine The Hoopla and has been a featured guest on ABC’s Q&A  and SBS’s Mums The Word.

A thrice published author Nolan’s previous titles with Finch include ‘What I Would Do If I Were You’  & ‘Boyfriend’s We’ve all Had and Shouldn’t have.’  Sydney Morning Herald’s Bruce Elder called Nolan ‘the country’s sharpest and wittiest comedic columnist’ . In 2015 alongside an 8 date East Coast book launch she also appeared at Bellingen Writers Festival, Byron Writers Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival and the Romance Writers of Australia Conference.

For nearly two decades Nolan has taught the gentle art of stand up comedy to over 1000 aspirants, with successful proteges Hannah Gadsby, Ellen Briggs and Paul McMahon all featuring on the national, and international circuit. Nolan believes comedy has strong therapeutic value and has delivered several programs to Kids, People with Lived Experience of Mental Health, Grandparent Carers and seniors, who all found themselves on stage delivering 5 minutes of comedy, smashing stereotypes and reframing limiting social views.

Nolan’s most important work however is the unique Stand Up for Dementia, the  Humour Therapy she created for people with dementia that was developed with the assistance of  Commonwealth funding with research making its way International peer reviewed medical journals. Most recently Nolan was featured on SBS’s Insight for her innovative approach to working with people with high levels of dementia.

With her keen eye for detail and dark wit, Mandy excels in what she calls ‘a dangerous social autopsy!’ If you like David Sedaris and Jennifer Lawson, if you like outrageous observations peppered with intelligent insightful quips, then you’ll love Mandy Nolan.

“Mandy Nolan is hilarious, with a wicked, wicked sense of humour!” Olivia Newton John

“…the country’s sharpest and wittiest comedic columnist” Bruce Elder, The Sydney Morning Herald.