When it comes to comedy, Bron Lewis always has a story to tell. Often speaking about teaching, motherhood, growing up in Wagga Wagga, or living in Canberra, she is always candid.
In light of her upcoming shows at the Sydney Comedy Festival, New Idea sat down with the comedian to discuss how she comes up with content for her stand-up performances, her former career as a high school teacher, and what it was like working on Thank God You’re Here and Have You Been Paying Attention?
Her toughest critics
While she has only been in comedy for six years, Bron is no stranger to tough crowds. Her most difficult? Teaching high school students at a state school.
“…teaching primed me perfectly for hard audiences, because with teachers, they usually have a classroom of kids who desperately don’t want to be there…” she explained.
“…you have no idea what teenagers have gone through to get there. You don’t know what their home life is. You don’t know what they’re going home to afterward. You don’t know any of these things. But if they’re there, you kind of have to try and make the most of it and not take anything personally.”
The comedian said this was no different from not knowing about the experiences of those coming to her shows.
So it’s fitting that her time teaching becomes a focal point of her comedy, including Who’s Talking? at the Sydney Comedy Festival.
But it was hard to put stories she told at dinner parties into a show. Eighty percent of her job was a joy, she said, but the other 20 percent was a challenge.
Hard times included being told by teachers “Boys will be boys” if she spoke up about students’ behaviours, or when felt unsafe.
“I know that it sounds really grim, but I talk about some really horrible things that I went through, but it’s mostly really funny,” she said.
The trials and tribulations of motherhood
While teaching is a cornerstone for her comedic material, Bron also has plenty to draw on as a mother of three.
Particularly when it comes to her three-year-old son. Being a mother to her boy was different to her two daughters, she said, and something she did not expect. He considers Bron as his best friend, and it’s made her think more about the teenagers she’s taught. It made her wonder what happened especially with those who yelled at her.
Although her children haven’t seen her perform, she does speak to her eldest daughter, who is 11, about her material, especially when it’s about the kids.
Finding her posse in comedy
Luckily for Bronwyn, she met comedian Claire Hooper at the school gate, who has since become a mentor. Bron said it was her now-friend who suggested she dabble in comedy.
“She’s seen me from the first gig, and…comes to every single one of my shows. She lives down the road from me. We see each other weekly, and I bounce jokes off her often,” she said.
Bron is also in regular contact and often brainstorms with Brett Blake and Sammy J. She’s also a big fan of Guy Montgomery and Melanie Bracewell, who she’s worked with and hopes to see at the Sydney Comedy Festival.
When it comes to finding her people, it’s all about getting feedback and learning from others.
“So I’ve kind of found my way of leaning towards people who teach comedy the same way as I kind of taught English if that makes sense,” she said.
Working on Have You Been Paying Attention? and Thank God You’re Here
While stand-up comedy is Bron’s greatest love, she has previously lent her talents to Have You Been Paying Attention? and Thank God You’re Here.
The first show meant she had to flex some different muscles as a comedian because she usually avoided the doom and gloom in the news cycle. Her nerves increased during her second appearance as a panelist and explained it was all about balance.
“So even if you know the answer, you probably should be like, ‘I need to get a joke in here’ because if you don’t, you’re just going to be the nerd on the show, and they never ask you back,” she said.
She, however, had no nerves on Channel 10’s Thank God You’re Here and said it was the most fun TV experience she had.
Already a big fan of the show, she embraced what was thrown her way.
“They’re professionals. They know what they’re doing. We don’t have to worry so much about that. So I loved it,” she said about the staff, cast and crew.
She also brought her opinions on Book Week to The Cheap Seats.
When is the Sydney Comedy Festival?
The 2025 Sydney Comedy Festival will take place from April 20 to May 18. Bron will perform at the Comedy Store on May 10 and May 11 at The Concourse.
Where can you get tickets to the Sydney Comedy Festival?
All of the tickets are available to buy through sydneycomedyfest.com.au. You can buy tickets at the venues on the day, but it’s recommended to pre-book them.
