The Stand Up Comedy Society welcomed seven recent graduates back to Canterbury for an unmissable night of laughs during Welcome Week, hosted by local comedian Sham Shakil.
The show provided an opportunity for our new students to appreciate where their Kent comedy journey could take them. Indeed, several performers celebrated their Kent roots and expressed gratitude for a the welcoming environment that enabled them to master their skill.
The full line up included sets from:
- Ibs Sessay (Drama and Theatre, 2016)
- Kristian Allman (History, 2019)
- Brooke Bettey (Drama and Film, 2024)
- Grayson Campbell (Drama and English Literature, 2023)
- Joe Graydon (Drama and Theatre, 2023)
- Ent James (History and Drama)
- Hannah Etheridge (Drama and Theatre, 2023)
Ibs Sesay’s masterful headline slot was a brilliant showcase of his work and we’re grateful to have had him back in Canterbury for the evening.
Another performer, Hannah Etheridge, praised the academics she studied under for providing unwavering support during her undergraduate degree, insisting that she’d ‘recommend the theatre studies department at Kent to anyone interested in performing arts’.
Hannah is now continuing her studies at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama but maintains ‘learning about comedy at Kent under the likes of Olly Double and Sophie Quirk was an integral part of my educational journey and made me the comedian I am today. I really enjoyed coming back to campus to perform – after a year studying in London it felt great to come back to my second home’.
President of the Stand Up Comedy Society and organiser of the event, Gabby Rolls said ‘It was a real delight to bring so many comedians and Kent graduates to the place they called home for many years. There was a real camaraderie between the performers – like a family reunited!
‘The evening highlighted the ability of laughter and artistic performance to bring people together. Fingers crossed the night has inspired lots of new students get involved (whether comedians or not!)’.
Kent’s comedy pedigree is well renowned. We are home to the Stand Up Comedy Archive and also count popular comics, Alan Davies, Laura Lexx, and Kyrah Gray amongst our successful alumni community.