Stand-Up Success

For those of you who don't know, I'm a professional vocalist and actress (outside of Positive DONUT, of course). I've trained for 10+ years in all things theater, acting and singing. 

Given this, I'm fairly comfortable with all styles of performing. But there's one that simply terrifies me... 

Stand-up comedy. *gulp* 😬

And apparently I'm not alone. Having to perform a stand-up set is featured heavily in 90% of people's top 10 fears, The Guardian reports.

However, if you ask Angie Belcher, founder of Comedy on Referral, stand-up has the potential to save lives – quite literally. 

🇬🇧🎤 A deeper dive... Comedy on Referral is a program gaining increasing popularity in Angie's home in Bristol, UK.

• The course seems simple enough. Over the span of six weeks, students are taught the basics of designing a stand-up set, delivering jokes, having strong stage presence and more. 
• But it's Angie's students that make her program unique. The course is designed specifically for trauma survivors and those at-risk for suicide. 
• As of recently, it's officially been recognized as treatment by the NHS.

While Angie uses the course as a way to coach students on developing a stand-up set, she shares it's not really about the performances at all.

• “It’s not about becoming a pro performer,” she said. “It’s just about enjoying the idea of being on the stage and going: ‘Hey, I want to talk about my being bipolar or having dyslexia’... I’m hoping this will be a way for people to learn a new way to talk about themselves."

🤣 Laughter is the best medicine... Angie is a firm believer – like many of us – that there's joy to be found in even the darkest of moments. By asking her students to dig deep and find the comedy in their stories, they're able to take back the reins and gain ownership of their lives.

Just this month, Angie won a grant from the North West London Integrated Care System, one of the largest health and care partnerships in the country, to teach her course to men struggling with mental health and at risk for suicide. 

• The opportunity is very possibly the first of its kind, and Angie is confident she'll be able to help the men in her course find laughter again. 
• “I hope that participants will use what they learn on the course in their practical everyday life," she said, "So that they go into future endeavours with joy, hopefulness and playfulness... I want participants to leave the course with a different part of themselves – their comedic persona – so that they can enjoy their lives in a different way and hopefully in a better way.”

❤️ IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org