Bunbury to have first devoted comedy membership, with Ruby Lounge able to play host | USAEMALL.com

Bunbury is gearing up to be home to a new comedy club, setting the stage for international and local comedians alike.

Under a new deal made by The Sit Down Comedy Club in Brisbane and Mandala Properties — the owners of Mantra Bunbury Lighthouse — the Ruby Lounge downstairs will become the only dedicated comedy venue outside of Perth.

Talent co-ordinator and event manager Jay Manes said it was a “dream come true” for him.

He was an aspiring comedian before he moved to Bunbury, and his passion for stand-up inspired him to bring life to a comedy scene in Bunbury.

“I wanted to get back into that scene, but there was not much of a scene here,” Manes said.

“So I set out to build one myself — I went to people in Perth in the scene and built a network and then got in touch with The Sit Down Comedy Club Brisbane and they were quick to join me in this.”

Manes has been working on the project for more than six months and it is now nearing fruition.

The project is projected to inject more than $1 million annually into the local economy through increased tourism, hospitality spend and creative industry growth — proving that laughter is serious business.

It is scheduled to open in February and hold a weekly Friday night comedy show.

Manes and his partner in the project, Matthew Isabella, believed the locally available facility would open a pathway for those in the South West who wanted to pursue a career in comedy.

“There are some open mics in some places across Bunbury, but there was nothing beyond that,” Manes said.

“We want to be able to get the people that have showed their talent in the open mic space and showed some natural aptitude, and be able to give them supporting gigs.

“Our plan will be to have those spots vacant for our local acts, and get them to shine and and also then they get to rub shoulders with our professional acts.”