Create a new character, unlock your creativity and find what makes you uniquely funny by trying out our Character Comedy taster. From Diane Morgan to Victoria Wood, Alan Partridge to Lolly Adefope, there’s a rich history of UK character comedians – now it’s your turn to find freedom, joy and hilarity in yourself, by pretending to be somebody else.
Led by award-winning performer, writer and director Jonathan Oldfield (who was a BBC New Comedy Award Finalist 2024, co-creator of BBC Radio 4 sketch show Time of the Week and recently appeared in Nick Mohammed’s A Christmas Carol-ish in the West End) and iconic actress, writer, comedian and improviser Kathryn Bond (of critically acclaimed comedy duo That Pair, now performing her solo show Loo Roll around the country. Doctor Brown’s Channel 4 Blaps, Call the Midwife, Radio 4 Sketchorama and Expenses Only).
Open to everyone 18+ who’s ever wanted to try stand-up. You can have any level of experience (including none at all), from all backgrounds and lived experiences.
Timetable
Sat 10 May 10:30am with Jonathan Oldfield
Sat 17 May 10:30am with Jonathan Oldfield
Sat 24 May 10:30am (facilitator tbc)
Sat 31 May 10:30am with Kathryn Bond
Sat 7 Jun 3:30pm with Kathryn Bond
Sat 21 Jun 10:30am (facilitator tbc)
Sat 28 Jun 10:30am with Jonathan Oldfield
You can do just one or any combination of the above sessions – just book yourself in for whatever you fancy. Please note, these are stand alone sessions, and not a running weekly course. So if you book for multiple sessions some content may be repeated.
BOOKING A PLACE
You need to be signed into your Soho Theatre account with a qualifying Waltham Forest postcode to move into the booking path.
Thanks to support from Waltham Forest Council, these tasters are exclusively for those who live, study or work in the borough at a reduced rate (up to 70% off what Soho Theatre normally charges for these).
Facilitators
Jonathan Oldfield
Character Comedy Taster Facilitator
Jonathan Oldfield
Character Comedy Taster FacilitatorHe was a BBC New Comedy Award Finalist 2024, second place winner at the Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off 2024, and co-creator of BBC Radio 4’s Time of the Week, which recently won Best Radio Sketch Show at the British Comedy Guide Awards. He directed Joe Kent Walters is Frankie Monroe: Live!!! which won the Best Newcomer Award at Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Awards 2024 and was winner of Best Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2024. He directed the multi-award winning Lorna Rose Treen: Skin Pigeon, which was named 3rd best comedy show of 2023 in The Telegraph and was winner of the Dave Best Joke of the Fringe 2023.
Kathryn Bond
Character Comedy Taster Facilitator
Kathryn Bond
Character Comedy Taster FacilitatorShe studied Acting amongst the likes of The League of Gentlemen at Bretton Hall and then continued her bohemian dream and went to Clown school with Phillipe Guallier. She formed critically acclaimed comedy duo That Pair and is now performing her solo show Loo Roll around the country.
As an actress, TV Credits include Doctor Brown’s Channel 4 Blaps, Call the Midwife, The Agency and Sky’s The Greatest of all Time along with Radio 4’s Sketchorama and Expenses Only. Kat trained at Monkey Toast and FA in the UK along with several guest coaches from around the world and is a proud member of The Commitee Improv.
Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Our address is 186 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 4QH.
We are a 5 minute walk from Walthamstow Central tube station, which is only 20 minutes from central London on the Victoria Line, and 15 minutes from Liverpool Street station on the Overground.
There are numerous buses that stop nearby and outside the venue.