Surrounded by comedy - Laugter is obviously the cure

If there was ever a time for a boom in comedy, it’s now! This Christmas I spent most of my groggy bailey’s hangovers sifting through mountains of stand of comedy in countless stores just to find those all important boxsets for mum and dad. Then I get home and they’re all over the TV on a plethora of panel shows that are all predominantly the same programme under a different name. Some of you might liken the feeling to the sudden surge of HBO drama’s that had us all bed bound on our days off ploughing towards finales that Rarely lived up to their name.

Now usually, this kind of overhaul would send me running back to a ‘Scrubs’ marathon or a ‘Lord of the Rings’ re-read in order to the storm. However, something feels different this time. Perhaps it’s the lure of their grinning faces smothered over shop windows or the inescapable laughter that you can hear seeping through the walls from next door that have caught my attention. But either way I have been inadvertently lead to a place I never though possible in such a ‘gloom and doom’ climate: contentment. I’ve become addicted to the great library of laughter that stands readily awaiting to cheer us up, so much that the pressures of life seem to elude me and my own creative pursuits flourish in the wake. Laughter really is a cure!

Of course the comedic quality of these overnight stars can vary, but for the first time in a long while it feels there’s something for everyone. Whether you want controversial, dry, sarcastic or just good old fashioned observational stuff, its all their to be lapped up. And don’t think it’s just those you see in the shops and on the TV either, no-no. Live stand-up comedy is rifer than ever and pubs and clubs all over the country are showcasing comedy like never before. The scene is wonderfully alive and with so many still looking for work, it seems everyone is having a go! For every individual out there that calls themselves an artist, there is nothing more encouraging than seeing fellow creators and entertainers succeeding in a time where it just doesn’t feel possible.

Beneath it all however, there is a warm fuzzy feeling of togetherness that only stand-up comedy seems to be able to stir, proving that the UK needs nothing more than laughter to get them through hard times. So here’s my advice to arts enthusiasts who may have lost their appetite for creativity over the last painful year: get writing, get seeing and get performing. The stage has been set and is ready for the taking, imagination is flowing and there is an audience out there that’s hungrier than ever for entertainment. Even if comedy is not your game, get out there and see some of it. Get laughing, get content and above all get inspired!