Lead pic: Bottom left to right: Alice. Clare, Helen, AJ, Finn, Ava Thomas, Katie. Top left to right: Carly-May, Rachel, Zoe Lyons, Andrada
A beginner’s comedy course ran for six weeks where participants learnt methods and techniques to create a stand-up comedy set.
Ali Jay has worked in comedy for many years and volunteered their time to create the first stand up comedy course for LGBTQ+ women and those who are non-binary. It was important to Ali Jay to keep the course affordable – they offered bursary places due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The course climaxed with a 60-minute graduation showcase in front of a live audience. The Ledward Centre is a sober space, and for any comic, writing and performing the first five minutes of material is a daunting experience. However, these wonderful funny humans not only smashed their first gig, they gagged their way in front of a live SOBER audience,. The event was sold out and in total the amount raised for the Ledward Centre was around £600.
Alongside performing stand -up, the participants have made a wonderful bond with each other, and the feedback has been amazing!
Special thanks to Zoe Lyons who kindly gave their time to take part in a Q and A with the participants.
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