Wythenshawe Comedy Course Showcase 2010
Frog & Bucket Comedy Club
Tonight I witnessed the budding comics of Wythenshawe’s Comedy Course perform their end of year showcase. The course is run by former stand-up, comedy writer and agent Ashley Boroda. Throughout the twelve week course Ashley helps the participants learn the basic lessons of stand-up whilst aiding them in finding their own, unique comedy ‘voice’. It’s no wonder it’s a popular course when previous workshops have been held by Circuit Professional; Seymour Mace, who has also had some TV exposure on both BBC3’s Ideal and Dave’s One Night Stand. However, Ashley proves the course is still great by the standard of pupils who take the stage. The course is run through the council and as a result it’s entirely free to apply – they advertise through the M.E.N and their websites.
As a part of the twelve week course the participants get the chance to showcase their new talents on the twelfth week at the Frog and Bucket. Previously the showcase was held at The Comedy Store but I feel the Frog and Bucket provides a warmer, more intimate atmosphere which is more suitable for the task at hand. The night’s host was Kiwi-born Sully O’Sullivan. Sully is a strong compere with even stronger gags, his material has been tested the world over as he frequently gigs in Australasia, America and Europe, whilst also being declared a highlight of both the New Zealand International Comedy Festival and the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
The night kicked off well with each of the new acts showing the audience what they’ve learnt in the previous weeks. A nice touch to the evening was brought by the difference in acts. Some acts such as: Adam Rushton and AFC Baggy are already gigging frequently on the circuit and seem to have used the course to give themselves an extra boost in the right direction. However, others may be using the course as recreation or more importantly to build confidence. The night’s line-up in full was: Ben Knowles, Louise Corris, Alex Lewis, Craig Hyman, Jason Kenyon, Adam Rushton, AFC Baggy, Ray, Robert Read, Dave Dlley, Dave Ruff and MC Sully O’Sullivan. It was nice to see the multiple uses of comedy at work this evening, whilst you can use it to show off, progress and maybe even make a career out of it; this seems to overshadow the more humble uses of comedy. Tonight I saw evidence of people using this course to progress their own self-esteem and have fun doing it. I believe the sudden increase in demand for comedy courses has not come solely from people watching too much Michael McIntyre but instead from people searching for a fun way to improve self-confidence whilst making friends along the way.
Comedy Courses are an ideal way to test the water of comedy and it’s far friendlier than taking the stage at a gig which resembles more of a bear-pit than a gong-show. Comedy Courses won’t turn you into an overnight success or even give you a solid 5mins, you have to put that work in. However, what a comedy course will do is teach you some basics and get you on track so you can knuckle down and write that solid, first 5mins. The Wythenshawe Comedy Course should be running in the New Year. If you want to get into stand-up but not sure how search for a local comedy course, they’re everywhere nowadays and well worth the gamble.
Date of feature: Wednesday 24th November
