In January 2018 I was lonely and ill, to avoid another evening spent alone in my room I went to my first comedy night in Leeds. The event was Lolshevism (a socialist, feminist comedy club), and this decision changed my life. This visit was soon followed by other comedy nights, then meeting up with the university comedy society. Within 3 months I was performing my own standup material, regularly doing improv, and took part in a sketch show.
Yesterday I went to the January 2019 Lolshevism. From the outside not much would seem to have changed. I was sat in the same venue, next to someone I’d met there a year earlier, even one of the acts was the same. Most importantly I had the same joy of good comedy. That experience of forgetting for a moment my own pain and anxiety in shared moments of laughter. But this time I didn’t go there alone.
In the past year I’ve built beautiful friendships with my fellow comedians and comedy fans. I’ve found an art form that I find cathartic, and at the same time a community where I feel welcome and supported. I’ve developed new skills, built up my self-confidence, and even set up my own performance night. I’ve also befriended some of the strangest people I’ve ever met.
I’ve already touched on how 2018 has challenged and changed me in general terms. All I have to add is this. I’m so glad that Lolshevism popped up on my Facebook feed a year ago. It pushed me down a challenging, supportive, and creatively fulfilling path. Much love to the friends I’ve made along the way, I look forward to seeing where this path leads me.