Our Team

Good Chat Comedy was birthed in 2017 to three mates with too much time and too many beers under their belts. From the beginning, our aim has been to bid an overdue farewell to the tired, played-out comedy shows of the past, and bring audiences fresh new acts, atmosphere, and absolute mayhem.

We began as a monthly comedy showcase in Brisbane’s seedy red light district of Fortitude Valley, at the notoriously rowdy boutique beer bar Barbara. After 18 months of chaotic monthly shows, we moved over to our new home underneath Fritzenberger, a heritage listed pub on the corner of Brisbane’s iconic Caxton St and Petrie Tce, claiming our spot with a weekly Wednesday lineup show.

In 2020, we emerged from the initial pandemic lockdown by returning with our staple shows on every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night, alongside speciality pop-up shows on other nights of the week. We broke into the touring market, bringing shows to regional hubs in Queensland such as Cairns, Townsville, and Toowoomba, and expanded to producing shows at all of Australia’s major comedy festivals across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Relaunching in 2023 with a newly renovated club, we now find ourselves partnered with Caxton St Brewing Company, having taken over our historic venue location. Just like us, the team at CBC are a grassroots, independent team, dedicated to bringing a wonderful and hospitable experience to our beloved locals and interstate visitors alike.

Since we’ve begun, we’ve had a litany of brilliant renowned acts grace the stage, including Arj Barker, Jacques Barrett, Nick Cody, Luke Heggie, Geraldine Hickey, Tommy Little, Nick Capper, Brett Blake, Mel Buttle, Ben Knight, Greg Larsen, Nina Oyama, Adam Ray, Nate Jackson, Bob Franklin, John Cruckshank, Wil Anderson, Tom Cashman, Gareth Reynolds, Amos Gill, Rove McManus, Aaron Chen, Sam Campbell, Dan Rath, Aaron Gocs, Dusty Rich, Lloyd Langford, Randy Feltface, Damien Power, Steph Tisdell, Gordon Southern, Matt Stewart, Tom Ballard, Lizzy Hoo, Luke Kidgell, Kirsty Webeck, Dilruk Jayasinha, Alex Ward, Becky Lucas, Cameron James, Dave Thornton, Harley Breen, Sam Taunton, Dave Woodhead, Stephen K Amos, and more!

Introducing our team:

Jake Smith – Managing Director

A born and bred Brisbane boy, Jake manages the day-to-day operations of Good Chat Comedy Club, overseeing production and event booking, liaising with our venue partner Caxton Street Brewing Company, coordination of touring acts and handling our social media. Occasionally seen on the stage at the club and other venues around the country, Jake can also be spotted drinking beers at the club, laughing loudly from the sound desk, lending a hand seating patrons, and clearing the odd table or two.

Contact him at jake@goodchatcomedy.com
Cale Donadelli – Director

A true jack of all trades, Cale works closely alongside Jake and oversees finances and strategy. He can be also often spotted assisting admitting patrons to our club, helping keep our shows running to plan, and lending a hand wherever it is needed. Part of the original Good Chat trio, Cale’s experience in management and event curation help make our business what it is, making him an integral part of the team.

Contact him at cale@goodchatcomedy.com
 
Nat Russell – Creative Director

Nat, who is an avid comedy fan and absolute tech genius, plays an integral part in the Good Chat Comedy team. Our schmick style and flawless content is thanks largely to his talents, and as a gifted graphic designer, illustrator and animator, it’s Nat who adds the final touches to our online reach and appeal. Apart from his brilliant work behind the scenes, Nat can often be spotted at the club draining a few tins while lending a hand keeping the show running to plan, and looking after the club when the crew is on tour outside of Brisbane.

Contact him at nat@goodchatcomedy.com
Peter James – Production Assistant

Peter joined the Good Chat team in 2023, adding another feather to his cap by working behind the scenes in addition to being a regular face gracing the stage at the club. Peter looks after the booking of our local showcases, as well as artist liaison and coordinating touring acts coming through Brisbane. A talented performer in his own right, he is also the founder of Cairns’ only dedicated comedy club, Laughing Heart Comedy, who we work closely with to bring fantastic acts to the Sunshine State.

Contact him at peter@goodchatcomedy.com
Ryan Sim – Graphic Designer

Ryan has been working with us since 2021, providing a much needed extra set of hands to help with our design workload. A very in-demand designer in the Australian comedy scene, Ryan’s work can be spotted not just on our social media but all across numerous other comedian’s festival shows and upcoming gigs. Originally from Brisbane, and now based in Sydney, Ryan is also part of the team behind Rat Klub comedy, and is also a skilled comedian himself.

Business enquiries can be directed to jake@goodchatcomedy.com