Eight of the funniest comedians in the country are coming to Nowra next month.

On August 8 the pick of the Sydney Comedy Festival will perform at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre.

Boasting a line-up of the best local and international comics and showcasing some of the funniest and freshest emerging talents, the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase will be a jam packed night of laughs.

Highlights from the night are the deadpan John Cruckshank, the understated truth-telling of Tien Tran, the insightful wit of Katie Burch, the insanely surreal John Conway, the refreshing Mike Goldstein and the musical stylings of The Stevenson Experience.

Keeping the laughs coming fast and in order, is the show’s MC Cam Knight.

Knight’s fast one-liners and absurd flights of fancy take audiences by surprise. Less surprising is the fact that he trained as an actor and later found a home in the stand-up comedy scene.

Knight began his career in supporting roles on sketch shows like Big Bite before making a name for himself on Foxtel and The Comedy Channel. There he presented on a variety of shows including Hit & Run and two seasons of Stand Up Australia. Other television work includes roles in The Jesters, Stingers and Blue Heelers and an appearance on Good News Week as a member of ManChoir. Knight was also an improviser on Comedy Slapdown hosted by HG Nelson.

Knight has appeared and performed with some of the world’s best comics, including Demetri Martin, Mike Wilmot, Michael Winslow, Stephen K Amos, Seth Green and Will Ferrell. As well as supporting Wil Anderson at the Sydney Opera House.

Katie Burch is set to be one of Australia’s most popular comedians since she became runner up at the RAW Comedy National Final last year.

After spending 10 years wandering the globe and pondering why we take things so seriously, Burch impressed the crowd and judges alike with her sandpaper-rough wit.

Using her life experiences as a mother, Burch transforms them into amusing cutting edge humour.

John Cruckshank is making waves on the national comedy circuit with his clever, sharp and well paced jokes.

His unassuming presence, irreverent voice and brutal honesty make for continuous laughs.

Over the last few years Cruckshank has established himself as a polished, highly sought after headliner.

A national finalist at Raw Comedy in 2011, Tien Tran is a truth teller who isn’t scared to bring the humour out of any topic.

His no holds barred style of observational commentary is weaved with absurdist insight.

Tran was nominated as best newcomer at both Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival.

Insanely energetic, surreal and unpredictable, John Conway is not your average stand-up comedian.

Endearing with just the right level of recklessness and spontaneity, Conway made the Raw Comedy National Finals in 2008.

He then started comedy night, Little Comedy which has played host to the local, national and international comedians.

Conway has been nominate for both best newcomer and best show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Originally from the US, Mike Goldstein has established himself as a refreshing young talent on the international comedy circuit.

Goldstein has been a Raw Comedy finalist and the Local Act Nominee at the 2011 Perth International Comedy Festival.

His latest show, Transient Joke Monkey, featured at both this year’s Sydney Comedy Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Identical twin brothers Benjamin and James Stevenson have combined to form musical comedy duo, The Stevenson Experience.

Regular headline acts across Australia and New Zealand, the brothers are a crowd favourite at all the major comedy festivals around Australia.

The Stevenson Experience has featured on ABC Television, triple J and ABC Radio.