We had a wonderful day on Wednesday 25^th October at the University of Kent for our one-day professional skills workshop for aspiring comedy performers!

The day was an absolute masterclass, from improvisation and experimentation to creative writing and performance, followed by having the opportunity to perform material inspired by these masterclasses! The evening showcase was hosted by Laura Lexx at Gulbenkian Arts Café. The evening was a culmination of a fabulous day of comedy experimentation and learning with Robin Hatcher (Noise Next Door), Ben Keaton (Father Ted), Laura Lexx (Comedian) and Lynne Parker (Funny Women).

We all had such a brilliant time. The participants were able to take inspiration and advice from fellow students, expand their ideas and play with longer versions of more polished material.

Here’s what some of the participants had to say:

“The opportunity to work with Laura was a real highlight for me, because she really gave tailored advice which I can use in my craft going forward, not to mention the experience of sharing a bill with a well-known comedian!” – Gabby Rolls

“I found the improv workshop with Robin Hatcher expanded my ability to listen to others. While this class was challenging it allowed me to expand my skill set, using these new skills in the final showcase.” – Roy Clarke

“Overall, the whole Upstart experience was a joy and really built my confidence. I really feel like I got an insight into the comedy writing process and I think it will likely lead me to have experiences/opportunities I would have otherwise never have had. Thank you!” – Ruth Cassidy

“Running the workshop for UpStart was a brilliant experience for me as a person, as a comedian and in a role as an educator/motivator. The group had mixed levels of ability to interact with one another, but even the most nervous in group interactions came off stage from their performances with a genuine shine of thrill on their faces. It was fantastic to access a part of people that they didn’t know how to express outside of the performance role but were clearly desperate to work on. As a comedian I left with a renewed sense of the breadth of possible material – hearing the ideas that these participants had was refreshing and invigorating. It was a brilliant day that ended with a performance full of heart, nerves and talent and I honestly couldn’t believe how proud I was of people I had only met 8 hours ago.” – Laura Lexx (Workshop Lead and Compere)

It was a joy to see participants using the skills and material they’d worked on during the day. A huge thank you to our wonderful performers and amazing professionals who put together a great day filled with laughter!