December

December kicked-off with the New Act Night show at Komedia and a review that made us all proud :

"New Act Night at Komedia was the finishing touch for the students of the prestigious Jill Edwards Beginners Comedy Workshop. MC Rob Heeney was a strong and funny pair of safe hands to guide proceedings with a real affection for the course, the students, the teacher and our city. Twelve terrified souls made us laugh at their delightfully fresh, cutting, dark, and off the wall material. A rounding testimony to the top quality of the course was the quality of this resulting output; a fabulous night out full of warmth, discovery (for the audience and the acts!) and more feelgood than a 70's disco." Victoria Nangle, Latest 7 ****

Workshops graduate Winner of BBC New Comedy Award 2011 Angela Barnes (left) was a popular guest speaker during the course, giving participants advice on how to get started in the comedy business. The Chortle review of her competition winning performance also made us all proud:

"A beautifully paced performance that was aided by the consistent quality of her jokes, many of which showed a great skill with self-depreciation." Steve Bennett, Chortle

Workshops graduate Seann Walsh paid us a surprise visit during the course and joined the judging panel for the New Act Night auditions. My course participants went an even paler shade of nervous pale but the friendly presence of such a supportive and encouraging top comic graduate who knew exactly how they felt proved inspiring. 

December ended with a Comic Boom that sold out a day in advance and that tired old chestnut about whether women are funny or not was laid to rest by outstanding performances that stole the show from our Angela Barnes, lovely Rachel Parris and the always brilliant Zoe Lyons. "More feelgood than a 70's disco" pretty much summed-up December for me this year!