Comedian Tim McGarry on why laughter is indeed the best medicine

He has been involved in a new project called Finding Our Funny with around 20 people with complex mental health issues from around Northern Ireland take to the stage for the first time as part of a three-date stand-up comedy tour which will conclude in Belfast tonight (Thursday).

The idea came about through friends and colleagues Jenna Thomas, from local wellbeing charity Inspire, and community arts facilitator Kelly Morris, who is also Tim's partner, when the two were out on a walk together in Ormeau Park.

Kelly said: "By the end of the walk we came up with the bones of Finding Our Funny. I came home and said, 'Tim, we have a job,' and then I went away and wrote it with Jenna.

"It got accepted, I was lead facilitator on it and Jenna helped organise getting all the participants. We had only four weeks and 12 hours of practice to prepare them.

"People with very complex needs, whether it be addictions or mental health, and we had to come up with a way as a team to figure out how do we get them to being able to have enough confidence to get up on stage?"

A key element of supporting, encouraging and mentoring the would-be comedians was bringing on board someone who has been there and done it in the shape of Tim, who has decades of experience in making people laugh in shows like Give My Head Peace and as a stand-up.

Kelly added: "Tim was s****ing himself but I know that he's such a kind, beautiful person, and he cares about people, and he wants people to do well, so I knew he would be perfect for it.

"I know Tim's my partner, but it wouldn't have worked with any other comedian. Because Tim really wants to do the best job for people. "We all hope that there's now a spark with all of them, all of us have always said that the aim is not only to build self-confidence but that we hope they keep going with it and try open mic nights or whatever."

The North Belfast funnyman held a series of workshops which included one-to-ones and gentle guidance with material that was authentically their own which was then honed in rehearsals.

Tim said: "The development from the first week to now is amazing, genuinely, and it has been very encouraging and inspiring for me as well, taking people who have never done this before, who are having the balls to get up on stage and try this for the first time ever, telling jokes in front of people.

"It has been highly entertaining genuinely because the material is very good. It's not overstating it to say one or two could make a career out of comedy if they wanted, 100 per cent. Could one of them some day support me on tour? I would love that.

"I have been very lucky that I haven't suffered from any mental health issue. But being part of this project, you realise the diverse experiences people have had in life. I'm very lucky and I appreciate that.

"For me has been uplifting and hugely inspirational as well. Working with people who have very complex needs is not something I have done before, but the transformation that I have seen over literally four weeks has been incredible.

"It has made me a very proud man seeing loads of people get up and do four or five minutes on stage who wouldn't have dreamt of doing a couple of months ago.

Finding Our Funny kicked off in Enniskillen last Monday and visited Londonderry on Tuesday - and tonight Tim will be compere again for the final show of the tour, which has included other users of the charity services involved in everything from stage management to photography with the project also being filmed for an online documentary.

The bill of first-time stand-up stars is a range of men and women aged from their 20s to their 70s who have gone through a wide range of mental health challenges as Jenna, Inspire's Assistant Director of Insight Engagement and Innovation, explained.

She said: "All three of our groups, they all live with serious mental illness. So that could be schizophrenia, could be bipolar. It could be anxiety, depression.

"It gives them this opportunity to become something more than what their diagnosis, and their true self, and they have that authentic voice. "And now they're finding that they're like storytellers and they're comedians.

"We have a history in Ireland of being the best storytellers in the world and why not have people that have serious mental illness or addiction issues be part of that?"

Tonight (Thursday) marks the last performance of the three-date tour but the benefits of the initiative are already being felt by Inspire clients taking part, such as Billy and Rachel.

Rachel said: "It’s been amazing. It’s been so good, not just for me but for everyone. It’s something I never thought I would do, and now we’re going to go out there and smash it.

I’m nervous, but I’m excited. Once I’ve done it, I’ll be able to say, ‘I did it.’ It’s something I never thought I’d do."

Billy added: "On the first day, I was in two minds about whether I’d be able to do it. But over the four weeks, my confidence has really grown. I feel much more confident in myself now, and I know I’ll be able to do it. “Everyone’s journey and story is different, and that’s what makes Finding Our Funny so special.”

*Finding Our Funny is tonight (Thursday, November 12) at The Barge, Belfast. Doors open 6.30pm. For more information on the charity, the project and to buy tickets, visit www.inspirewellbeing.org