Kids clown around for lessons in comedy with experts

Jessica Benton
CLASS clowns are rarely tolerated at school but this week they took centre stage as budding secondary school comedians joked their way through a competition.
Dressed in costume with ear-to-ear smiles and cheek to match, the budding comedians used their finest tomfoolery to woo the crowd at Geelong Class Clowns festival.
Stand-up comedian Anthony Menchetti, who acted as a mentor for the aspiring comics, said the competition turned shy kids into “rock stars”.
“It’s great to see kids who are normally quiet and insecure use comedy to communicate,” she said.
“It’s really rewarding to see them come out of their shell – some of them are geniuses.”
Ms Menchetti said Class Clowns provided an opportunity for participants to express opinions and issues, while comedy also acted as a therapy for personal problems.
Melbourne Comedy Festival performers helped students in years nine to 12 from across the region polish up original, five-minute stand-up, sketch or musical comedy routines for live performance.
Bellarine Secondary College student Blaise White, who won the 2008 Geelong heat, said he relied on personal experiences for material.
“My life is the biggest joke, so I had lots of material to use,” he joked.
“It’s a really good experience. I do get nervous on stage sometimes but I figure the worse I can do is stuff up and get a laugh out of it.”
Class Clowns’ top performers will perform at a 2009 grand final in September.