Hi Folks.
I am a newbie Irish comedian, just doing stand up for 8 months. Making my first and potentially last (though hopefully not) appearance on a UK stage this weekend for So You Think You're Funny? I have become totally hooked on stand up since I started at the not so tender age of 35, over 20 years after first thinking about wanting to be a stand up. I am a long way off being able to make this a day job yet, but it is the long term goal. Just here really to keep up to date with information about the British Comedy Scene and thought I'd say hi.

Being Irish is a tremendous advantage to anybody wishing to be a comedian on the English stage.

Apart from the fact that the Irish seem to have a natural talent for storytelling in general and for the telling of funny stories in particular, I think English audiences tend to respond positively to Irish performers partly in order to help assuage their collective guilt for our government's having been such complete and utter bastards to the Irish in the past.

I wish you every success!

Cheers Rood Eye. Yeah, we've given ye enough comedy exiles all right Not going to have many opportunities to gig over in the UK with working full time here, but we'll see how the SYTYF experience goes and build from there. Thanks again.

Among the judges' tips is "Avoid racism, sexism or any other isms."

Take it from me, Doniedaff - that advice is bollocks!

The very, very LAST thing you want to avoid is professionalism.

Ha ha. Good point Rood Eye. I also think cynicism works well in comedy.