Dirty Work Comedy

About Us

Dirty Work Comedy (DWC) is a boutique comedy management and production company based in Melbourne, and operating throughout Australia, New Zealand, UK, UAE, North America and South East Asia.

DWC represents a small list of Australian based performers, and produces widely throughout Australia, with particular specialties in theatrical and kids’ comedy.

In the last eighteen months DWC has produced over sixty seasons in eight countries, including the Sydney and Perth International Arts Festivals, and the Dublin, Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringes, working with its own list of artists and others from the US, Ireland and Malaysia. We are also currently producing 4 major Australian regional tours throughout 2012-2013.

We have an interest in all flavours of comic performing arts, including standup, theatre and variety. We have a very keen interest in anything suitable for audiences with limited or no English, and comedians from middle eastern and asian countries.

Toby Sullivan and Vanessa Rouse are the Directors of DWC. Until May 2009, Toby was Associate Director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where he worked intensively on creative and professional development of local Australian artists and seasons. Between 1999 and 2004 he worked for Token Artists, Australia’s largest exclusively comedy producer and management company, and Roving Enterprises, Rove McManus’ TV production company.He has also worked at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and meanwhile been independently producing for over ten years.

Toby met Vanessa Rouse while she was also working at the Comedy Festival as Marketing and Sponsorship Director. Vanessa has a very long standing background in the Arts sector, having worked in policy, marketing, sponsorship and general management roles at the Melbourne International Arts Festival, Arts Victoria, Arena Theatre Company, Out of the Box Festival and City of Melbourne, to name a few.