Learn how to get a laugh and a half
A CARDIFF comedian is offering the chance to learn the art of stand-up comedy.
Sell-out performer Ignacio Lopez will pass his knowledge on to a group of about 60 complete beginners free of charge, courtesy of Ultra Comedy.
And after eight weeks of training, he will introduce the participants in their first stand-up show in front of hundreds of people at The Glee Club in Cardiff Bay.
Mr Lopez, 32, said the best thing about training is getting to see complete beginners get “huge laughs” on stage at the final event.
Those taking part are asked to sell tickets for the show and raise at least £50 for Cancer Research UK.
So far, Ultra Events – the company behind the shows – has raised a staggering £18m for Cancer Research UK.
Mr Lopez, who is at the Edinburgh Fringe to perform his new show #Espanyolo, said: “I don’t have any children, so this is the only experience I have of feeling proud of someone I’ve raised.
“Apart from the final event itself, which is quite incredible, I get to see what these brand-new comedians come up with, which is really rewarding for me.
“When you’re a stand-up comedian you can feel quite isolated up there on stage, but with training like this I can kind of hold the performer’s hand and show them support.”
Mr Lopez started out in comedy in 2009 when he was working as a freelance video producer and jobbing musician, and has since toured with shows that mix observational comedy with one-liners, and even musical performances.
He was inspired to try it for himself after watching comedians at the venues he was playing in.
Talking about passing on his wisdom to Ultra Comedy participants, he said: “My advice is usually to relax and slow down, as everyone talks too fast when they first get up on stage. Don’t be afraid of silence, and just enjoy yourself, which is the most important part.
“I set them homework every week and tell them to write about what’s going on in their lives, as well as watch as much comedy as possible, because you can always learn something, even if they aren’t your cup of tea.
“The final event is incredible. It always sells out and will be jampacked with supportive people.
“I love when the first comedian goes up on stage and gets a huge laugh cascading around the whole room.
“People are worried they won’t get any laughs, and they sometimes think the night won’t be any good, but there’s always a real quality to the show.”
The Spanish-Welsh comedian bases his own jokes around the differences in British and Spanish culture, with one popular gag on binge drinking in this country.
He says to his audience: “You drink so much in this country. You do things we don’t do in the rest of the world. Things like pre-drinks. What the hell is a pre-drink?
“I had to ask my friend Dai. I said, ‘what are pre-drinks?’ He said, ‘Ignacio, it’s great. We drink at home before we go out drinking.’
“I said ‘that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life!’ I said ‘why would you do this?’
“He said, ‘you know, just to warm up to get ready to go out drinking.’
“You don’t do that for anything else, do you? We’re going to the cinema, pop a DVD in before we go to the cinema. It doesn’t make sense!”
Mr Lopez, who lives with his girlfriend, photographer Michelle Huggleston, 32, said he had decided to take part in Ultra Comedy because “90% of people have been somehow affected by cancer”.
He added: “I lost a friend of mine, another comedian, Phil Westcott, to cancer in 2015.
“I don’t know what kind of cancer he had, because the only time he would talk about it would be during his sets on stage, which was fascinating. He would come up and talk about his everyday life with it, make little observations.
“One of the wonderful things about comedy is making light of the bad things and finding something to laugh about.”
Mr Lopez is the coach for Ultra Comedy in Cardiff and Swansea. The next event takes place in Cardiff on November 24, and Swansea on November 15, at Liberty Stadium.
And training starts in the week beginning September 30 in Cardiff, or September 23 in Swansea.
■ To sign up, visit ultracomedy. co.uk/sign-up/