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MARCH 2 0 1 4 .l a s tmi cs t a ndi ng qua r t e rf i na l .c a r di f f . I nt heups t a i r sr oom a tDe mps e y sba r oppos i t eCa r di f fCa s t l e ,e i ghtr e ma i ni ng c ont e s t a nt sf r om a ni ni t i a lt hi r t yt woa r e huddl e da mongs tas e v e nt y s t r ongc r owd whi c hha spa c ke doutt her oom. Wear eher et oc ompet ef ort hef ourpl ac eson offeratas emi finalt obepl ayedouti na c oupl eofweekst i me.I ’ dmadei tt ot hel as t ei ght !Coul dIr eal l yr eac ht hel as tf our ? Theheat soft hefir s tr oundhadt akenpl ac e t womont hsbef or edur i ngac ol dwetj anuar y eveni ng,j us taf ew mont hsaf t ermyver yfir s t gi g.Iwass t i l lanewbi e.I ’ ddoneas uppor t s potatoneoft hel a ers t agesoft hepr evi ous r unoft hec ompet i t i onandi twasbyf art he wor s tofmyfif t eengi gsupt ot hen,wi t hone dr unkenpunt ervol unt eer i ngani nmyf ac e r evi ew ofmys etwhi c hs t ar t edwi t ht hel i ne‘ I t houghtyourfir s tj okewasgr eat ,buti twas downhi l lal lt hewayf r om t her e. ’Fi nal l y! Somet hi ngf ort hepos t er !I ’ dbeens ogu edat t her oom’ sr es pons et hatI ’ dt houghtabout c huc ki ngi tal li nevent hatear l yon-buta s mas hi ngs potatt heHol l yBus hi nCr adl ey Heat hs oonaf t err es t or edmyf ai t h!Ands oi t waswi t hs omet r epi dat i ont hatIs i gnedupt o beac ont es t antt hi st i me. Las tMi cSt andi ngi st hebr ai nc hi l dof Swans eabor n,Car di ffbas edSeanKnox,who hasbeenpr omot i ngc omedyni ght si nbot h c i t i ess i nc et heageofs i xt een.‘ Ic ameupwi t h t hei deawhenIgothomeabs ol ut el ywas t ed f r om ani ghtout ,s c r awl eddownt hees s ent i al s onabi tofpaper ,t hengotmyac tt oget her whenIwass oberands c out edoutavenue’ .
Thec onc l us i ont ot hi ss omewhatmovi ngs t or y s aw t hec ompet i t i onr unf ort hefir s tt i mei n s ept ember2012,par t l yasavehi c l ef orSeant o t es touthi sowns t andups ki l l s ,andpar t l yt o findnew t al ent .I tnow r unst wi c eayear ,wi t h s uc hs uc c es st hatSeani si nt al ksaswes peak t omovet hef or mati nt oot herc i t i esand unc overnew t al entf ur t herafiel d. Thef or mats eesac t sf r om awi der angeof s t yl esgoheadt ohead,wi t hbot hc omedyand mus i cr epr es ent edonanygi venni ght .The r es ul ti ss omet hi ngofavar i et ys how,wi t h ever yt hi ngf r om s t andup,t omus i c alc omedy, poet r yandevenmagi c ,t omus i c ,whi c hs ees t wi nkl i ngac c ous t i cs i nger s ongwr i t er sl i neup al ongs i debl ow yourar s eoffr oc kbands . Sodoest hedi ver s emi xofac t ss kew t he audi enc evot es omewhat ?Woul damus i c c r owdnec es s ar i l yvot ef orac omedi anf or exampl e?‘ I ’ vehadt hedebat eaboutmus i cvs c omedyahundr edt i mesandIs t i l ldontqui t e know how If eelabouti t .Onet hi ngIfir ml y bel i evet houghi st hati fac omi ci sgood enough,t heyc andowel l .I npr e ymuc h ever yr unoft hec ompet i t i on,ac omedi anhas madei tt ot hes emi final s . ’ Oft heei ghtquar t er final i s t s ,t her ewasan equals pl i tbet weenc omedyandmus i c .On t heni ght ,onl yonec omedi anmanagedt o pr ogr es s ,t oflyt heflagi nt hes emi final( t he f abul ousKar enSher r ar dwhowentont owi n t hewhol et hi ngout r i ght ! ) .Oft het hi r t yt wo s t ar t i ngc ont es t ant s ,i fhal fwer ec omedi ans , t hendoest hi ss ugges tt hatt heaudi enc ei s gener al l ymor ei nf avourofmus i cf r om t he out s et ?‘ Thefli ps i deoft her ebei ngs omany c omedi ansi nt hec ompet i t i oni st hatt heyt end t ogetknoc kedoutqui t equi c kl y. ’
Sowhatdoesas t anduphavet odot ogoal l t heway?‘ Youc antexpec tt ot r eati tl i kea r egul argi gandt henexpec tt odowel l .The audi enc edes er veanddemandmor er es pec t t hant hat . I fac omedi anwant st odowel lt hey ar egoi ngt ohavet oei t heres t abl i s har eal l y goodc onnec t i onwi t ht heaudi enc eorhave l ot sofgoodmat er i alt opul loutoft hebagt o keepi tf r es h.I t st hats i mpl e.Thewi nneri st he ac tc apabl eofwi nni ngt heaudi enc et ot hei r s i deaf t erfivei nt ens er ounds . ’ Doubt er shaveal s oques t i onedavot i ng s ys t em i nwhi c ht heaudi enc ec hoos eswho des er vest ogot hr ough.‘ Thi swast hemai n i deat hatf or medt hebas i sofLas tMi c St andi ng.Mos tc ompet i t i onshavei mpar t i al j udgesandt her ear emer i t st ot hi si dea.I want edt heaudi enc et ohaveas ay,bec aus eat t heendoft hedayt heopi ni onsoft hr eepeopl e doesnott r ans l at ei nt or eall i f e. ’ Butdoes n’ tt hi smeant hatt hemor es uppor t youbr i ng,t hemor eofac er tyouar ef orvot es ands ubs equentpr ogr es s i on?Seanhol dshi s handsup:‘ Ever ywi nnerobvi ous l ypos s es s esa gr eatdealoft al ent ,butIover t l yt el lt heac t s t hati ft heywantt ogot hr ough,i t ’ sas mar t movet obr i ngl ot sofpeopl e.Yes ,t hatmay makei ti nt oapopul ar i t yc ont es tbuts ur el y t heamountofgr avi t asandpul lyouhavei sa hugei ndi c at i onofhow s uc c es s f ulyouar easa per f or mer ? ’ Speaki ngont hequal i t yoft heac t s :‘ If eell i ke I ’ ves eeni tal l .I ’ ves eenac t ss mas hi tr oundon r ound,andI ’ ves eenac t sflopl i keafis h.The audi enc ear er ut hl es sbutIt hi nkt heys houl d be.Iwantt hewi nner st obeofahi ghqual i t y. Us ual l ybyt het i mewer eac ht hequar t erfinal ever yoneoft hem i sr eal l yr eal l ygood. ’
‘ Any bodyc a nge tas l ot . Li t e r a l l ya ny body .Iwa ntt o e nc our a gea l la c t sf r om s ma l l t i mebus ke r s ,t oe s t a bl i s he d c omi c s ,t ope opl ewhoj us twa nt t ogi v epe r f or mi ngagof ort he f i r s tt i me . . . ’
‘ IhopeLa s tMi cSt a ndi ngc a n beaf oot not ei nt hec a r e e rofa n a c twhoe v e nt ua l l ygoe sont o hi tt hebi gt i me .Tha t ' st he dr e a m. ’
Ofc our s e , Idi dn’ tma ket hel a s tf our , a nd nobodywoul ddoubtt ha tt hee ve nt ua lf our s e mi fina l i s t swe r ea l lr e a l l ye x c e l l e nt , t ha t t hebe s ta c t swe ntt hr ough. Ic a ntde ny ha vi ngbe e nc a ughtupi nt hebuz zoft he c ompe t i t i ont hough. Whi l s tI ’ ds t a r t e dwi t h t hemi nds e tt ha ts t a get i mewa st het hi ng, by t hequa r t e r sIc oul dn’ the l pbutt hi nk ‘ . . . ma ybe . . . j us tma ybe . . . ’ . Att heve r yl e a s t , La s tMi cSt a ndi ngha s gi ve nmet hr e egoodr oundsi nwhi c h a udi e nc e sha vebe e nl a r ge , wa r ma nd r e c e pt i ve , whi c hboi l sdownt os omegr e a t e x pe r i e nc e , t heoppor t uni t yt opl a ya r ound wi t hmyma t e r i a la nda ne x e r c i s ei n c onfide nc ebui l di ng. Thena t ur eoft he vot i ngs ys t e m me a nst ha tt he ywe r et hefir s t gi gst ha tI ’ dpe r s ona l l yi nvi t e df r i e ndsa l ong t owhi c hwa sa not he rt i nymi l e s t onei nmy s hor ts t a ndupc a r e e rs of a r . Tha tc ompe t i t i onsl i ket hi sa r er e l a t i ve l yf e w a ndf a rbe t we e n, c e r t a i nl yi nSout hWa l e s , ma ket he ma not he rf or um i nwhi c ht o pe r f or m, a ndma ki ngi tt hr ought ot he qua r t e r sf e l ta ma z i ngt ot her e l a t i ve ne wc ome rt ha tIa m. Ia l s ome ts omegr e a t pe opl ea l ongt hewa y.
. . . andt hewi nneri s. . . KAREN SHERRARD!
a l lphot os : Da mi e nPRos s e r
How doesi tf eelt ohavewon?
I t ’ sanamazi ngf eel i ng.Iputi nal otofhar dwor kandt owar dst heendI wasf eel i ngt hepr essur e,sot hi si saf ant ast i cr esul tf orme.I ’ venotwon manyt hi ngsi nmyl i f e-per hapst heoddcanofSpam orLi l yoft heVal l ey bat hcubesi nat ombol a.
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Myf i r stpr operst andupgi gwasi nFeb2012.I twasatani ghtt hatRhod Gi l ber tf r ont edcal l edt heComedyPl aygr ound.Ther ewasaf i vemi nut e openspotf orabsol ut el yanybodyt oputt hei rnamedownf orwhi ch,af t era coupl eofpi nt s,Idi d.I twasagr eatexper i enceshar i ngt hest agewi t h Rhod,Gr egDavi es,Ll oydLangf or dandMi keBubbi ns.Consi der i ngi twas myf i r stt i mei twentdownr eal l ywel l .
Whydi dyousi gnupf orLastMi cSt andi ng?
Twowor ds-st aget i me!Iam al waysl ooki ngf orgi gswher everIcanand t hef actt hi swasacompet i t i onmadel i t t l edi f f er ence.Theaudi encei s par amount .I fatanypoi ntIhadf el tcompet i t i ve,Iwoul dhavebeenver y wor r i ed!
Di dyouchangeorr ewr i t et heset ?
Idochar act ercomedyasl asci vi ousTVgar denerEsmedeFl ange( based l oosel yonNi gel l aLawson) .I ’ vebeenget t i nggoodr esponseswi t hhersoI deci dedt odot hatf ort hef i r str oundandt henst uckwi t ht hechar act er t hr oughout .Iaddednew st uf feacht i meast heaudi encewasl i kel yt ocome back.
Whathaveyougai nedasanact ? Fora nybodywhoi si nt e r e s t e di nt a ki ngpa r t i nf ut ur er unsofLa s tMi cSt a ndi ngj oi nt he Fa c e bookpa gea t www. f a c e book. c om/ l a s t mi c s t a ndi ng whe r eSe a npos t sc a l l sf orpe r f or me r s .
Icer t ai nl yachi evedmygoalofst aget i me!Ihadt hechancet odevel opand var yt heactf orar epeataudi ence.I tr eal l ybui l tmyconf i dencet oo.I t sa goodt hi ngt obeabl et oputonmywebsi t eandCVandi thasst ar t edt o causeabi tofabuzzofr ecogni t i on.Ial sohave£100t oputt owar dsan Edi nbur ghshow!
Al lwr ienc ont enti sownedbySt andUpForComedy vi s i t ,r ead,l i keands har e www. s t andupf or c omedy. c o. uk i nf o@s t andupf or c omedy. c o. uk