Happy 5th Birthday Laugh-Able!
Wednesday 16th October at Wanstead Library
7:30 till 9:30pm
When I first started Comedy 5 Years Ago. I vividly remember being booked with another performer who was forced to drop out because they couldn’t get their Wheelchair into the venue. Having a disability myself (Autism), I was sympathetic to the cause and upon investigating the comedy scene further, I found this was a common barrier to a lot of acts with physical disabilities
So, I set myself a mission to change this! With the help of a Lovely London Promoter, Local Advocacy Project One Place East and with the support of Redbridge Libraries in giving me an accessible venue. Laugh-Able Comedy Night was born 8th November 2019.
Our first show was a huge success! Over 50+ audience turned up to see so many wonderful acts with different disabilities including our headline act (As in On Sky One) Aaron Simmonds. Aaron, and many others, were very impressed with accessibility of the night and how many other disabled folk came out to support this event. Although Aaron did comment that Ilford station itself was not accessible!
Even during the Pandemic, we continued to provide incredible nights via Zoom in which we attracted TV comedians such as Rosie Jones!
Coming out of Covid 19 OPE, RL and Laugh-Able worked together to achieve several funding bids to deliver comedy workshops to local residents with disabilities and mental health conditions which has led to said residents performing in our monthly showcases. In 2022 this was formally recognized by European Arts Organization Amateo.
Our next round of Workshops at One Place East begin on October 12th at OPEs office in Ilford. Contact andy.murphy@oneplaceeast.org if you’d like to sign up!
As a result of the Amateo Prize we were able to employ 2 BSL Interpreters for one of our shows to bring the Deaf Community into this ever growing inclusive night in Redbridge. Because of the success of this night Empowering Deaf Society, One Place and Redbridge Libraries clubbed to together to help us fund ANOTHER one of these BSL Nights which included, for the first time, a performance done only in Sign Language by the wonderful Deaf Performer David Sands!
After the Pandemic me and RL made the decision to move from RCL to Wanstead Library, something that has been a big hit with the residents of Wanstead, as demonstrated in May 2023. when Robin Ince(As seen on BBC Infinite Monkey Cage) headlined the night culminating in over 60 audience members attending, our highest attendance yet!
Robin said of the night “What’s Nice is a Comedy Club Where people didn’t feel they had to put themselves into a shape of what a lot of comedy clubs expect….and it meant they could be themselves…it has a great playfulness to it”
(Robin will also be back on 18th December, so be on the lookout for tickets for that show!)
In July this year we set about hosting our first Comedy Festival “FEST-ABLE” showcasing 16 acts to over a 100 audience members as they bought their hour long and split bill shows to the Library. We will be looking at hosting future ones, hopefully NOT during an International Football Tournament and General Election!
Now we are back on 16th October at Wanstead Library with Laugh-Able Favourite, Award Winning, BBC Radio 4 Comedian, Don Biswas closing our 5th Birthday!
There will be plenty of Cake and Prizes for the best audience members! Plus you can bring your OWN DRINK.
What an incredible 5 years this has been! Come and celebrate with us and Pay What You Can Afford by hitting the ticket link below!
Click flyer to enlarge