Gav Comtessi, 28, had performing comedy standup on his bucket list. 

“I saw open mic flyers for Wagga Comedy Fest and I thought ‘If I don’t do it now, when am I?’,” he said. 

“My comedy is relative to me and what I do because my life is comical so I don’t have to work too hard to make a fool of myself.”

Comtessi was in the army for a while, but now raises his three young boys while working as an at-risk youth mentor. 

“I was also a teacher in prison for a period,” he said.

“Being a single dad, I don’t have much time for anything else.

“They ask for their handouts and their commission from their material and they’re not short of character and personality.” 

Thinking a comedian’s act is exactly who they are in real life is a common misconception, Comtessi said. 

“Kevin Bacon once upon a time played a serial killer and I am pretty sure he doesn’t do that in his spare time,” he said.

“We write it much like authors do and sometimes people find it hard to make that separation.

“I have had people yell at me but it’s the stage act.” 

Comtessi said he has a process before getting onto the stage. 

“I am fairly comfortable and if no one laughs and it bombs I will still be me tomorrow,” he said. 

“I still have to get up and make beans on toast in the morning.” 

Comtessi said he would never have met so many people from so many different walks of life without the Riverina Comedy Club. 

“It’s not often you get such diversity in the room where the common goal is laughter,” he said. 

‘I think that in itself for Wagga is a big thing.

“It provides opportunities for an individual to have that space and have their moment in lights and that’s important.” 

Comtessi is one of the local acts at this week’s Riverina Comedy Club with headline act Luke Heggie. 

Doors open on Friday night at 7.30pm at Que Bar for an 8.30pm start with $15 tickets available at the door. 

For more information and tickets click here. 

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