NEXT month the Melbourne International Comedy Festival looks set to take over Canberra. And why not? We have plenty of seriously funny people here.

There’s Ned Hirst, for instance, who represented Canberra at the national grand finals of “Class Clowns” last year.

That’s the project that helps young people in Years 9-12 throughout Australia to become comedians and which has seen luminaries such as Josh Thomas and Tom Ballard through its doors.

The performances are judged, then the winners go to the State finals and eventually to Melbourne, with money prizes for themselves and their school if they win.

The Canberra heats of “Class Clowns” are on March 2 at the Canberra Theatre and Canberra teens from 14-18 years are welcome to enter. Register at comedyfestival.com.au/2012/classclowns/competition

“Class Clowns”, in the Link, Canberra Theatre, workshop 11am, performance 2pm, Friday, March 2. Tickets at the door.

THEN there’s Greg Kimball, who won the Canberra heat of “RAW Comedy” last year and is trying again for the national title.

Kimball, together with Kale Bogdanovs and Rafe Morris from Comedy ACT, will also perform the show “Capital Punishment” at Melbourne Town Hall. An up-and-coming Canberra entrant is Edward Graffham.

“RAW Comedy” is the country’s biggest open mic comedy competition and has, since 1996, been luring apparently normal people out of offices, workplaces, classrooms, pubs and homes to centre stage with just five minutes of new, original material.

You have to have earned less than $500 from performing comedy, but that’s usually no problem. The RAW Comedy winner in Melbourne gets to compete in “So You Think You’re Funny?” at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Register at http://www.rawcomedy.com.au Raw Comedy Canberra heat, Tilley’s Cafe, Lyneham, 8pm, Saturday, March 3.