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Anglian Comedy Company which brings The Best in Comedy Show to South Holland Centre in Spalding shares if laughter is the best medicine...




Well-known comedians will be taking to the stage in Spalding during a bi-monthly comedy night.

The Best in Comedy show, delievered by Anglian Comedy Company, returns to the South Holland Centre on Saturday, September 9, with another stacked line-up featuring the fantastic Zoe Lyons, Tez Ilyas, Paul McCaffrey and Peter Flanagan.

Reporter Jenny Beake spoke to Alex Lingham who owns the company and asked, amongst other things– is laughter really the best medicine?

The Anglia Comedy Company presents the best in comedy at South Holland Centre
The Anglia Comedy Company presents the best in comedy at South Holland Centre

How often is the comedy night ?

Bi-monthly, so we will return in November, following the September 9 show.

Peter Flanagan is on the line-up
Peter Flanagan is on the line-up

What does Anglia Comedy Company do ?

We mainly run high-level, mixed-bill comedy nights, in theatres from south Lincolnshire down to North London.

Tez-Ilyas is a stand-up comedian who will be appearing at the South Holland Centre PHOTO: SUPPLIED Tez-Ilyas is a stand-up comedian
Tez-Ilyas is a stand-up comedian who will be appearing at the South Holland Centre PHOTO: SUPPLIED Tez-Ilyas is a stand-up comedian

Why is it important to bring this sort of show to South Holland Centre in Spalding?

Mixed-bill, or 'club' comedy can bring in a different audience to those that would potentially go to see a specific act on tour.

You get four (or sometimes even five) of the best comedians on the circuit, bringing a mix of comedic styles into one jam-packed show.

Paul McCaffrey is appearing in the Best In Comedy show
Paul McCaffrey is appearing in the Best In Comedy show

The cost of touring for acts has increased massively, and subsequently, often so have their ticket prices. We have capped the price of these shows so that they are affordable, whilst still showcasing quality acts off the telly.

Is the night popular ?

Yes, the shows have proved to be very popular.

Tez-Ilyas is a stand-up comedian
Tez-Ilyas is a stand-up comedian

When you start working with a new venue you can never be 100% sure whether the local community will embrace it, but we've been thrilled by the response.

The debut show, last June, sold out way in advance and we've had to increase the number of shows ever since.

What is the feedback from comedians who visit Spalding?

Peter Flanagan is on the line-up
Peter Flanagan is on the line-up

Genuinely great. A lot of the acts may not even have heard of Spalding before playing the venue, so it's a slight journey into the unknown for them. For them to arrive at such a beautiful theatre and to have played to such lively, engaged crowds, who are always up for a laugh, has been a joy for them.

How important is the arts to a community/town like Spalding?

Vital. Everyone is aware of how much the culture and arts sector has been squeezed over the past few years, but I think, coming out of lockdown, the enthusiasm of local audiences has only been heightened.

One of my favourite comedians, Keith Farnan, once sent me this message when discussing this very subject: "The beauty of a live comedy show is it takes you away from your screens and social media. In a theatre, comedians stand on stage and a room full of strangers form an instant community of laughter and joy celebrating smartly formed surprises. Comedians are just magicians who use words instead of rabbits, because words are cheaper to source."

I think a version of that could be applied to most art forms or community projects. Life is just more fun when we come together.

Not every town the size of Spalding is lucky enough to have a venue like the South Holland Centre.

How many is a sell out capacity show?

A little over 300.

What can an audience member expect from the night ?

Quite simply, a gutful of laughs with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

And finally, is laughter really the best medicine?

As Jasper Carrott once said: "Laughter is the best medicine - unless you're diabetic, then insulin comes pretty high on the list."

Visit www.southhollandcentre.co.uk and www.angliacomedy.com for more.



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