In a city where comedy is often an afterthought, Xavier Susai is making sure it takes centre stage.
It’s a familiar scene in the underground comedy world: a half-lit corner in a bar, a microphone that cuts out mid-sentence, a performer trying to wrangle a distracted crowd seated too far apart. The jokes might be solid, but the setup is a disaster. The result? A wasted night.
For Xavier Susai, a comedian and producer with nearly two decades in the industry, the failure of a comedy night rarely rests on the performer alone. Instead, it’s an ecosystem of details—lighting, sound, ambience, room layout—that dictates whether a night soars or crashes.
That’s why Susai has created The Comedy Room Blueprint, an intensive workshop designed to teach the invisible art of running a comedy room properly. With performances spanning 25 countries, collaborations with Comedy Central and Just For Laughs, and an operation that books 700+ comedians across Perth, he’s seen it all. The good, the bad, and the abysmal.
And now, he’s sharing that knowledge—not because he has to, but because he wants to raise the bar for comedy production before bad setups start driving audiences away.
The Problem with Comedy Rooms
For most comedians, the focus is on writing better jokes, landing bigger gigs, and crafting the perfect setlist. But to Susai, that’s only 25% of the equation.
“It’s always tough when you see comedians and artists have a perfectly good product to showcase, and it gets messed up because no one thought about the environment,” Susai says. “Most comedians are so self-involved, they don’t realise they’re just a cog in the wheel. And about 75% of that wheel is the ambience and the venue itself.”
His frustration is rooted in experience. Corporate gigs where the audience treats the comedian like background noise. Open mics where performers fight against terrible acoustics. Comedy clubs that make no effort to create intimacy.
“I’ve seen guys have rooms where there’s an open window behind them and a noisy car park outside, and they wonder why no one’s paying attention.”
To him, it’s not just about making the night better for comedians—it’s about making sure audiences actually come back.
“If a crowd has a bad experience, they don’t just avoid that venue,” he explains. “They avoid comedy altogether.”
And with Perth’s comedy scene having grown fourfold in the last five years, this is the make-or-break moment for the city’s comedy infrastructure.
The Blueprint for Success
In The Comedy Room Blueprint, Susai will guide attendees through the technical and psychological mechanics of a successful comedy show—insights that took him years to refine.
“It all comes down to attentiveness, comfort, and above all, focus. The audience has to be focused on the comedian, and the comedian has to focus on the audience. The wrong setup can kill that dynamic before a single joke is told.”
His workshop will cover:
✔️ Sound & Lighting Mastery – How to optimise speakers, microphones, and EQ settings for clarity and projection.
✔️ Seating & Room Layout – Why spacing, sightlines, and crowd proximity define a comedy room’s energy.
✔️ Show Flow & Pacing – The science behind why certain formats work (and why others don’t).
✔️ Avoiding the Biggest Mistakes – The critical errors that instantly tank a comedy night.
✔️ Insider Knowledge & Industry Secrets – Lessons learned from 20 years on the road.
And in addition to hands-on training, attendees will receive a comprehensive workbook with checklists, diagrams, and blueprints for creating the perfect comedy space—a resource that, as Susai puts it, “is worth the investment alone.”
Why Give Away All This Knowledge?
With nearly two decades in the industry, Susai has built a reputation as a comedian and producer who obsesses over details.
That’s why some people might be surprised to see him sharing everything he knows in a single workshop.
“I want standardisation and procurement,” he says. “I want to perform at other rooms and know that they’re operating at the same standard I would.”
But beyond that, it’s also about honouring those who taught him.
“I had the privilege of knowing Dave Grant, an incredible Aussie comedian who had a serious case of OCD when it came to running rooms,” Susai says. “He shared so much intellectual property with me about how live comedy should be run. He passed away 15 years ago, and I think about him all the time. He would genuinely appreciate that I’m passing this knowledge forward.”
In a sense, The Comedy Room Blueprint is Susai’s way of ensuring quality control in the next generation of comedy producers.
“This workshop is for people who want to do this right. If you take this course, I know you’re investing in the same things I am. And that means I can trust you.”
The Future of Comedy Production
With the rise of independent comedy shows and DIY venues, many wonder whether traditional comedy clubs are dying.
Susai doesn’t think so. But he does believe that the industry is evolving faster than ever before.
“Headliners used to do 45-minute sets—now they barely do 20. Lineups are more diverse, attention spans are shorter, and audiences have more options than ever. Comedy clubs have to evolve. And so do producers.”
But while the industry gets tougher, he also believes Perth’s scene is on the verge of something huge.
“Five years from now? Perth will be a world-class comedy scene. No question.”
That is, if producers, comedians, and venue owners step up their game.
A One-Time Opportunity
Despite the overwhelming demand for The Comedy Room Blueprint, this is the only time it will run in Perth.
“We simply won’t have the scenario to run it again anytime soon,” Susai explains.
For those serious about mastering the craft of comedy production, this might be the only chance to learn these lessons directly from him.
And while others will waste years learning these lessons the hard way, attendees of The Comedy Room Blueprint will walk away with a serious competitive advantage.
Final Thoughts
In a comedy scene that’s rapidly expanding, The Comedy Room Blueprint is more than a workshop—it’s an opportunity to be ahead of the curve.
“You can have the best jokes in the world,” Susai says, “but if the mic’s cutting out and the lighting’s awful, no one is laughing.”
And in an industry where audience experience determines everything, The Comedy Room Blueprint could be the difference between a thriving comedy room and an empty one.
📧 Register Now: February 16th 4pm to 8pm at Ronnie Nights – Click here for Tickets
For more information click here
