By Jillian Mundy

‘One Silly Ring’ a quietly spoken Yarwura and Noongar woman from Broome, clad in a Michael Jackson inspired outfit, has taken out top prize at this year’s Deadly Funny National Grand Final with her deadpan, self-depreciating humour.

Also known as Pearl Smith, she was one of eleven First Nations comedians from across so-called Australia who had won or been invited as wildcards from regional Deadly Funny heats to the grandfinal in Naarm/ Melbourne last week.

There were radio hosts, performers, writers and singers looking for a new direction, some who ended up there after being encouraged, or maybe coerced, into having a crack at regional workshops. There was a dancer whose body is apparently held together with scotch tape and one woman who was forty years late for the gig. Whatever their reasons or back story they had a few things in common – deadly, Blak and funny.