Press Releases

January 05 2009

Free stand-up comedy course on offer

Here’s a funny thing – people in east Manchester are being offered the chance to learn how to tickle an audience’s funny bone with a FREE stand-up comedy course.

Funny folk who took part in the two previous courses have gone on to perform their comedy routine to audiences at home and abroad.

There are five places still available on the new course starting at The Manchester College in Openshaw on 20 January and running every Tuesday evening for 12 weeks.

The course, set up and run by comedian Ashley Boroda, provides a step-by-step guide to becoming a stand-up comedian, from writing material to microphone technique.  Students will also learn to source material, study comedic styles, and learn performance and confidence-building skills.

Sean McGonigle, Director of Regeneration for New East Manchester, said: “The stand-up comedy courses are part of our cultural regeneration programme and its great to see that as well as being really enjoyable and helping people boost their confidence, they have led to some people who took part going on to perform professionally.”

Rachel Fairburn, of Harpurhey, who took part in the first course at the end of 2006, has gone on to do gigs at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester and other venues all over the country.  During 2008 she was a finalist in both the Nivea Funny Women and City Life North-West Comedian of the Year competitions.

“I’d seen a lot of stand-up and always fancied having a go but didn’t know where to start,” said Rachel. “Once I started the course, I looked forward to each session and really enjoyed it. The course deals with everything, right from how to write your first set to how to perform in front of an audience.”

Rachel’s still working full-time but hopes to swap the double life of quiet library worker by day and comedian by night to full-time stand-up comedy.

“I’ve got gigs coming up in the North East and Midlands and also some work in London next year,” she said.

Wendy Eaton, who lives in Openshaw and manages the Community Resource Centre for older people there, has performed her stand-up comedy act a number of times since taking part in the course.

“I went along to the course originally to learn how to inject some humour into presentations to staff where I work,” said Wendy. “Since then I’ve performed during an exchange visit to Ireland and at a golden wedding party in Edinburgh – but the highlight was being invited by the Lord Mayor to perform in Manchester Town Hall for St George’s Day this year.  I even had tea and cake with the Lord Mayor afterwards.”

The laughter bug has bitten colleagues and users of the resource centre in Openshaw, where a new Giggle Group has been set up for people to talk about what makes them laugh.  Wendy also used her new comedy skills in the centre’s Christmas pantomime.

Ashley Boroda, comedy promoter and course tutor, said: “Stand-up comedy is one of the areas of life where you can get on by talent alone.  You don’t need to have qualifications or have gone to a fancy school or a top university.  It is also not important to have contacts in the industry, have a famous parent or even possess model looks.  You just need to be funny.”

Preference for places on the course will be given to residents of Newton Heath, Miles Platting, Ancoats, Clayton, Openshaw, Beswick and Gorton. For further details and registration please contact Lela Cribbin on 0161 223 1155 or l.cribbin@manchester.gov.uk . The course is strictly for over 18s.

For more on Ashley Boroda visit www.ashleyboroda.com