James O'Loghlin
A former lawyer who dismantles everyday absurdities with dry logic.
1 special · 1999
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He stands upright at the microphone and speaks in measured, complete sentences. James O’Loghlin performs standup with the posture of a man presenting a closing argument, subjecting minor annoyances to a deadpan cross-examination. He rarely raises his voice or relies on physical act-outs. Instead, he takes hold of a tiny premise and applies a dry logic to it, slowly cornering an idea until there is nowhere else for it to go. The rhythm is not a fast volley of setups and punchlines, but a steady accumulation of evidence.
Specials
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Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala 1999 with Rove McManus, Jeff Green & 20 more
A massive showcase of late-nineties comedians doing four minutes each.
Network Ten
On stage
Australians are deeply familiar with his voice. While he was a regular on the local comedy circuit in the nineties, he spent years as the host of ABC’s The New Inventors and as a fixture on evening radio. He is a reliable broadcaster and author, the kind of comic who wears a suit on stage and never needs to yell to make a point.
His stage work actively leans into his white-collar stiffness. He built his early solo shows around the oddities of the legal system, using his insider knowledge to mock the theater of the courtroom. Because his delivery is so controlled, his act can occasionally feel a bit polite for a rowdy basement club. He asks a crowd to lean in and follow his train of thought, earning laughs that come from quiet agreement rather than sudden surprise.
Before he ever told jokes on stage, he worked as a commercial and criminal lawyer. That past life gave him his material, but more importantly, it gave him the cadence of a man who expects a room to listen to him without interruption.