WHEN was the last time you had an honest-to-goodness, gut-wrenching, belly-aching laugh?

Comedian Akmal Saleh is coming to the Warwick RSL Club tomorrow night and this show is definitely one not to miss.

Akmal has been performing comedy since the early 1990s and his live shows have toured comedy festivals both within Australia and internationally. He has also made guest appearances on numerous TV shows in the country.

"I find the main difference in performing at country towns is that the people have more of a community feeling," Akmal told the Daily News.

"They all know each other, which tends to make a united audience and is more fun for me most nights."

Akmal's jam-packed tour program this month concludes at the Sydney Opera House filming a live DVD on December 9.

"The tour never really stops, I'm constantly working," Akmal said.

But he wouldn't have it any other way.

"You have got to do something in life, otherwise you spend the whole day sleeping," he joked.

"I really love working on stage and really look forward to it. "I still get excited about it."

At the age of 11, Akmal Saleh's parents gathered up their children and left Egypt headed for Australian shores.

Growing up in a typical Sydney suburb, Akmal began to recognise the differences between his Arab heritage and the Australian way of life, which would later shape him as a comedian.

Akmal began his comedy career going by the name Peter so he could get booked in RSL clubs and it wasn't long before Akmal displayed his uncanny gift to walk on stage and instantly have the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.

"I had aspirations from the beginning," he said. "But everything has happened very slowly so I kind of eased into it over the years.

"I'm still learning and that's one of the things about this - comedy is not like learning a trade.

"It is still challenging and there always seems to be something new and unexpected."

The show at the Warwick RSL Club is set to be huge, and Akmal has it all down pat.

"I'm not really much of a planner," he said

"Instinctively the audience dictates how the show goes, sometimes it is overly sensitive and other times it is the opposite."

He likens comedy to a new relationship.

"It's like when you go out on a blind date - every performance night is like a new date.

"Sometimes it's really easy to talk to someone and sometimes it's harder to connect."

Akmal said successfully delivering comedy was all about bonding with the audience.

"You can have the most brilliant joke, but if you don't make a connection with the people on stage then it will never have the effect," he said. "And vice versa, a serious line works if people connect with you.

"That happens organically; if people can't relate to what you're saying then it is very hard to make them laugh. The clearest way of acceptance is when someone laughs at your point of view. "That is why I do this job - but I don't want it to be like an actual job, because that would defeat the purpose."

The show starts at 8pm and includes support act Greg Sullivan.

It is an 18+ event. Tickets are $39, call the Warwick RSL Club on 4661 1229.