It's always daunting making that first leap from "my mates think I'm funny" to actually getting up on stage for the first time for what can seem like the longest five minutes of your life.
To be fair, the best piece of advice I was ever given was: if your mates down the pub say you should do stand up comedy, DON'T.
I've seen so many first timers with clear talent pop up at a really difficult venue for their debut only to suffer a huge dent in confidence or come away form a dodgy gig with the idea that the whole industry is full of shisters (Thistle anyone?).
So what is the erstwhile newby to do? How do they go about getting those first few minutes of stagetime without putting themselves through hell?
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| David the 'ex'-mental health worker |
The Cavendish Arms in Stockwell have been running 'Comedy Virgins' - a beginners open mic night -for quite a while now and it's proved so successful they now run two evenings a week on Monday and Tuesday.
What makes it such a great beginners gig is that all acts have to bring at least one guest and both the act and guest have to stay until the end of the show. It's a great, professional looking room with a consistently supportive and fun atmosphere.
Spots get booked up well in advance but there are also 5 first come first serve spaces available on both nights. They also run a yearly competition with some not so bad prizes.
Shirley is the one to contact if you fancy a slot so drop her an email here or turn up from 5 on either day to see if you can get on.
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