JETHRO – THE RISING STAR OF WELSH COMEDY
IT’S been an incredible week for Jethro Bradley. The rising comedy star last week scooped the Welsh Unsigned Stand Up Award at the Glee Club in Cardiff and yesterday found himself at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival performing in the semi-final of the prestigious BBC New Comedy Award, alongside some of the best new comics from around the UK, including fellow Welsh comedian Alex Mahoney from the Rhondda.
And although we cannot reveal how Jethro got on because of an embargo by the BBC until the semi-final is broadcast on BBC Radio Four this Friday, Jethro said he was happy with how he performed and delivered the best set he could.
For the 41-year-old from Cardiff, his success at some of the UK’s best comedy competitions are validation for him having taken a circuitous route to stand-up.
“After studying scriptwriting at Bournemouth University, I did some script work in London and also for BBC Wales. I did that for a while but I harboured an impatient, unfulfilled desire to perform rather than sitting in a bedroom typing. So I took on a number of jobs including newspaper photography and threw myself into performing in the evenings.”
Then living in London, Jethro became a part of the burgeoning improv scene in the city.
“I used to go to a couple of workshops and improv classes a week. I became quite obsessed for a while.”
However, it was a series of unfortunate incidents that occurred simultaneously that brought the comic back to Wales.
“It was a combination of factors,” said Jethro. “I had relatives who weren’t very well, I wasn’t doing very well financially and then my landlady told me she was selling the flat I was renting, so I came back to Cardiff in 2014.”
There he found a vibrant comedy scene in which he could prosper and the Welsh Unsigned Stand-Up Award provided the perfect vehicle for him to showcase his ability.
Making the final last year, this year he took the title after a unanimous decision from judges for the style of comedy he describes as “channelling the absurdity and ridiculousness of life”.
Although he admitted he did feel under pressure coming into this year’s competition, given he reached the final last year.
“Competing in WUSA this year was even more scary and pressured than last year. I was relatively unknown last year, having cut my teeth in London.
“Having reached the final last year I didn’t want to bomb out in the first heat, so that was a worry, I felt a lot of trepidation privately.
“I was really chuffed to win it, though, especially as it was a very strong competition and very varied in styles and genres.” nres.”
Jethro believes the comedy scene in Wales and nd especially in South Wales is very ry healthy and there is an excellentt community of comics working hard rd to help each other and grow the scene.
“This year I giggedd with everyone who took part rt in the final quite a bit andd it’s a lovely community.
“I have a feeling eling there’s a lot morere to come from the Welsh scene. I think it’s waiting aiting to happen in termsms of fully breaking through.”ugh.”
It was back to thee Glee Club stage when he e competed in his heat of the BBC New Comedy Award competition, wherere he impressed judges includncluding former BBC New Comedy Award winner Rhod Gilbert to makeake the semi-final in Edinburgh.urgh.
The comic is no stranger to the Scottish capital, which each Augustst sees the cream of the world’s comedy scene.
“I went up in 2013 to watch and went up p in 2014 with an hour-long show featuring a couple of friendsriends who I had met on comedy medy improv courses in London,” n,” he said. “We called the show Menen With Nectar Points and we did well, performing to 65 or 70 people a day.”d ”
As for his BBC New Comedy Award semi-final, he described the experience as “simultaneously doing a bungee while stood outside the headmaster’s office while an Amazon tribe did the conga through my guts”.
Tune in to the semi-final to see how Jethro got on on BBC Radio Four, 11pm, on Friday, August 12. The final of the BBC New Comedy Award will be held in Edinburgh on Sunday, August 14. Listen to the show online at www.bbc.co. uk/programmes/b07n3fyy