Bristol funny gal Angie Belcher is creating a new form of therapy, one that uses the theories and ideas of stand-up comedy formation to help people recover from trauma.
Comedy On Referral, a new arts-based wellbeing course will be delivered in collaboration with the Wellspring Settlement Social Prescribing Team from their Healthy Living Centre site in Lawrence Hill in January 2022. The course is a pioneering combination of psychology, comedy and storytelling to help people to own the narrative on their past traumas.
Stand-up comedy, the one art form that fills most people with dread, may seem a strange choice to help people, but Angie explains “Comedy is a natural human trait, and we are already comedians. Every night you come home from work and tell your significant other/ dog/ dad what your day was like, but in the car home you’ll exaggerate details, make your retorts funnier and build a story that will entertain your friends and family, all we do with professional comedy education is give you the tools to take this to a more polished and informed level.”
As for the trauma Angie is eager to explain why comedy and therapy are natural bedfellows.
“Past traumas are perfect for comedy. Comedy doesn’t come from the happy, perfect moments of your life, but from our everyday struggles and major life events. People who’ve been through big life experiences such as bereavement and ill health often can’t wait to tell me their story, mostly because there’s always something weirdly funny about the situation. It’s a case of, this part of life is tough, but you’ll laugh at this one thing that happened. A friend of mine recently told me about their mum’s funeral, and a music mistake which led to their mother’s coffin exiting the church to the strains of “Living Doll” by Cliff Richard, which is something I confess, I also found hugely amusing.”
“The presence of comedy, particularly in a sad situation, doesn’t take away the seriousness of the situation, it just is. You can acknowledge and honour the comedy of a situation, as much as the ritual and sadness of it. It’s a small bit of respite, so why wouldn’t you take it? I started realising that we could support people to write about these situations, help them to become the protagonist of their experience and inspire them to bring that version of themselves to the stage. The process of learning how to frame your experience as comedy has a cathartic and healing effect. I then went further and realised that if we face future experiences role playing, or embodying life with our “inner comedian” we can become more resilient and happier. So, the comedy therapy course can help on a practical level with how to live with joy, rather than fear of old traumas. It’s a wonderful course”
Angie says the course is for anyone who is ready to explore their anxiety and trauma through comedy, “I’ve had all sorts of people want to join the course, people in recovery from mental health issues, people who’ve had birth trauma and people with PTSD” There’s plenty of 1-1 help in the room too, I’ll have three people assisting me, giving people a hand to write their comedy, some comedians, some from the world of counselling, so you get lots of support to write and bring out your comedic self.
The inclination may well be to wonder if such major trauma can be helped with an arts-based intervention, but Angie explains “I’m not implying that this should take the place of traditional clinical approaches, but similarly to art or drama therapy, this course is a complementary one which is there for people who normally wouldn’t be able to access my workshops.”
“When you are ready to explore some darker times from your history, you find that just talking about it in a funny way is quite lovely, and more importantly, it has a ripple effect on your audience, you help other people to cope with their sadness. When you bring your story alive for others, it makes other people feel less alone, having your experience mirrored back to you is hugely comforting. Comedy builds community.”
This six-week course is free to attend, and referrals come from Social Prescribers via GPs.
Angie Belcher, Comedy Educator and Coach – http://www.angiescomedycourses.com
angiebelcher@yahoo.co.uk
