Laughter filled The Britannia Inn in Crickhowell on the night of Tuesday, June 2 as participants in Black Mountain’s Comedy Festival's comedy and wellbeing project - Stand Up for Well-Being - took to the stage for a hugely successful evening of live comedy in front of friends, family and supporters.

The special showcase marked the culmination of eight months of comedy skills workshops led by professional comedian, Huw Davies (2024 Wales unsigned standup award finalist, Aber Laughs, Black Mountains Comedy Festival and the Glee), who coached the group in the fundamentals of comedy writing, timing, and live performance.

The workshops saw a diverse group, including a mum-to-be, a pub landlady, a civil servant, and a part-time tree surgeon, discover the power of humour to improve wellbeing.

The group of first-time comedians delivered original routines inspired by everyday life to a packed audience.

Among those performing was Phil Boler, aged 52, who took part in the comedy workshops to help him better manage the profound stammer that developed when he was growing up.

Taking to the stage in front of a live audience was a major personal achievement and highlighted the project's confidence-building impact.

Phil said: “By day I’m a civil servant working in IT, and six months ago if you told me I’d be up on-stage doing comedy I’d tell you you’re having a laugh! I never imagined I’d be doing a routine of my own material to a room full of people and be on the same bill as professional comedians. The workshops have been an incredible experience; I’ve made lifelong friends, it’s given me confidence, and I can certainly say it’s been a huge step outside my comfort zone. Hearing the audience laugh was an amazing feeling.”

Ewan Ryan, aged 33 and a part-time tree surgeon from Forest Coal Pit, Abergavenny, who came to the workshops as a lifelong comedy fan, said: “It’s been fantastic to go from being a huge comedy fan to being someone who’s written their own material and got up on stage to perform it. I’m hoping to carry on and take my comedy further. It’s certainly opened doors I didn’t know were there.”

Comedian Huw Davies, who led the workshops, said: “It's been an absolute pleasure to be involved with this wonderful group of people, all very different but with the same goal. Just standing on a stage and speaking to a group of people is a huge step if you haven't done it before. Seeing everyone grow in confidence and embrace their creativity has been incredibly rewarding. I had wanted to try stand-up comedy at 18, but because of a lack of confidence and shyness, I finally took the plunge 20 years later. It's been a fantastic experience helping provide the group with a safe and supportive space to try something new.”

The Stand Up for Well-Being initiative was developed to explore how creativity, connection and laughter can support well-being and positive mental health.

Gerard Kilbride, the Director of Black Mountains Comedy Festival, who developed the project, said: “Our Stand Up for Well Being project far exceeded our expectations and demonstrates the growing recognition of the role arts and culture can play in supporting wellbeing. Huge thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All, to the group who threw themselves into this project with 200% effort, a great audience on the night and the team at The Britannia Inn.”