News just in for top Comic Voice comedian John Ryan as we have just received confirmation that radio 4 will be broadcasting a feature on John’s mental health show as part of the ‘All in the Mind‘ programme. Tuesday December 20th at 9pm and repeated Wednesday 21st at 3.30 pm.
Posts Tagged ‘john’
John Ryan – All In The Mind – Radio 4
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 by andyAward Winning Comedian John Ryan Discusses Mental Health
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 by andyJohn Ryan’s DVD recording of the ‘Beyond Prison- Bringing the outside in’ comedy project has just won an award from the Scottish Mental Health Arts Film Festival in the Best Short Documentary Category 2011. Whilst ITV’s ‘show me the funny’ puts acts into controlled environments with disciplined audiences at night time, John Ryan wrote and performed his show in front of prisoners predominantly serving Life sentences in a women’s Prison. Add to that the fact that the subject matter was about Mental Health and Equality issues and here’s a man that will really SHOW YOU THE FUNNY. The project was funded by the Home Office via a south London Charity called The Southside Partnership. John carried out research via workshops with various prison inmates to find out their experiences of Mental health and diversity issues within the prison service. The resulting show was filmed by Insidejob productions in conjunction with the inhouse media team at Downview Prison surrey. The project also won a Best of Health Awards 2010 in Mental Health and Well Being for the NHS. The DVD is now being circulated across the prison service for use in discussion groups.
John Ryan: Comedy, rugby and men’s health!
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 by andyIF laughter is the best medicine, a new comedy night in Wigan could be just the tonic!
Organisers are hoping a mix of comedy and rugby league will ensure the borough’s blokes start thinking and talking about that most taboo of subjects…..their own health.
Top comedian John Ryan will poke some good natured fun at men’s attitude – or lack of it – to exercise….why blokes hate going to the doctors and why they simply can’t say what they feel.
They’ll also be able to meet Wigan Warriors players Pat Richards and Sean O’Loughlin and have their picture taken next to the Super League trophy.
Award winning comic John has performed in prisons, army bases, football clubs and art centres.
Mr Ryan said: “If I can people to laugh, I can get people to listen. It will be a great night of comedy, not preachy, just a laugh with a bit of a health message.”
During the night leaflets on everything from checking for testicular cancer to gym membership will be handed out to encourage men to think more seriously about their own health.
Organiser Jane Hynes is manager of the NHS-commissioned Community Weight Management service in Wigan. She said: “The night has been organised in response to men’s well-documented aversion to taking their health seriously.
“Making light of something can make it easier to talk about and hopefully the night will encourage men to take an interest in their own health and well-being.
“If we can make them laugh maybe we can break down some misconceptions such as ‘avoiding visiting the doctor makes you more manly’.
“Men need to take their health more seriously.”
Talkin’ Bol***ks has been organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s Active Living Team in partnership with Age UK, NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan and Wigan Warriors to highlight some startling statistics.
In the UK life expectancy for men is 77.4 years compared to 81.6 years for women.
Middle aged men are twice as likely as women to have diabetes and twice as likely not to know they have it!
While 21 per cent of men die between the ages of 15 and 64 compared to just 12 per cent of women.
Roger Jones, national co-ordinator for Fit as a Fiddle Age UK, said: “This is part of our Fit as a Fiddle older men’s project which aims at getting the over 50s man healthy and active by providing activities which are fun and healthy but also have a strong social base which encourages men to work together and support each other.”
Talkin’ Bol***ks is being held at the DW Stadium on Thursday 27 January starting at 7pm.
For tickets call 01942 488 481. To find out more visit www.activeliving.org.uk
John Ryan Client Testimonials
Monday, December 13th, 2010 by andyAs well as John Ryan’s wealth of experience and ability to adapt his performances to any audience has made him one of the most popular corporate hire comedians on the comedy circuit. Quotes have been selected from various corporate work, men’s health and mental health shows:
“Just wanted to let you know that as an office we had an absolutely fantastic time last Friday and John Ryan made our event so very special. Everyone has been talking about it and The Comedy Club since…he is genuinely funny and lovely guy.” Eversheds International
“The comedian provided by The Comedy Club was pitch perfect and went down fantastically well both at our events in the North and South. Feedback from the delegates was great and they all really enjoyed it. I was particularly impressed with the effort John Ryan put into getting to know the audience prior to the event, he really tapped into what made them tick, another testament to The Comedy Club’s level of service and understanding of the event.” Guinness
“Thank you so much Comedy Club for securing John Ryan for our event. John Ryan’s performance was great and we will certainly be including John in future events and recommend him further.” The University of Northampton
“Thanks for sorting things out for Thursday. John was a hoot and everybody had a good time in my party!” BAA Airports
“I just wanted to say MASSIVE thank you to John Ryan who was absolutely brilliant on Saturday night – he made the evening really entertaining and helped to raise over £3,300 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. We would never have been able to raise as much money as we did without him and thank to you for an extremely efficient service.” Marie Curie Cancer Care
“John Ryan was very well received and enjoyed by all. The audience was very multinational and he handled this very well, preferring not to tell jokes but provide a more general entertainment which suited everybody. Thus, he read the situation well.” Ferrovial Agroman Airports UK Ltd
“John Ryan comedian and Master of Ceremonies for the day drew large crowds where members of the public not only benefited from a good laugh but gained valuable information as well. The day was a great success thanks to John and it is true that laughter is the best medicine!” NHS Plymouth
“What can I say? You went down a storm! …On behalf of all of the organising committee, I’d like to say a very sincere thank you. Thanks again for all your support…delivering a really engaging, valuable and interesting session. Good luck for the future, and congratulations on your award.” Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University
“the night was excellent and you went down brilliant!. Everybody in the office this morning have been saying you were hilarious.” Active Living Office. NHS Wigan
“The party went really well, and John was great. General feedback from everyone was that the act went down well, involved the audience etc. Overall we were very happy with your service, particularly as we had left it quite late to arrange, and we will differently use you again if we do a similar event in the future. Thanks again” BDO LLP
“The event as a whole went well and the client was very impressed by John’s performance. They have asked me to pass on their thanks to him and said he provided a fantastic service as both compere and comedian on the night….I hope we work together again before too long” Joogleberry Acts
“The headliner was John Ryan from Essex who completely justified his headline spot with some brilliant stories and well thought out comic philosophy.” Whiskey Bob, 100% Biker Magazine
“The event went extremely well. John Ryan was absolutely brilliant! The feedback we received from the 200+ attendees was excellent. John was able to gauge the audience and tailored his act accordingly. He had everyone in ‘stitches’…The event ran smoothly and without any hitches…There’s a real buzz at work today. Everyone is talking about the event saying how much they enjoyed it.” Amicus Horizon
NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing Award Winner John Ryan
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 by andy
The Health and Social care Awards are an annual celebration of the innovative and inspirational achievements of teams and individuals working in the south east region. They are a great way to showcase the very best of what the NHS does highlighting best practice on a national stage and inspiring others by showing how we are bringing the Healthier people, excellent care vision to life.
The Best of Health Awards 2010 in Mental Health and Well Being for the NHS – South East – was awarded to the BEYOND PRISON project organized by the Southside Partnership. The show and DVD was written and performed by John Ryan. The Project is now a finalist for the National NHS Best of Health Awards 2010. It is also a nominee for the Health Service Journal Awards in November.
Last week John Ryan’s other mental health based comedy project ‘Cracking Up’ received a commendation as a runner up at the Royal Society for Public Health Awards in London.
John Ryan’s skills in Mental health understanding and subsequent educational performances are proving a great success so to make your own enquiry: please contact us here.
John Ryan on Wayne Rooney’s Mental Health
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 by andyNEWS RELEASE: Wayne Rooney’s world has been thrown into chaos because of revelations about his private life, an ankle injury, becoming a dad and carrying the weight of a nations expectations through the world cup. His future is in turmoil and his life is microscopically analysed the world over.
How do we expect a young man to react to such tremendous pressure. Will he succumb to the pressure in the way that is increasingly becoming the norm for a man of his age? Suicide is now the main cause of death for his age group.
Mental Health is no laughing matter unless it is delicately handled and the public arer made more aware of the realities, possibilities and pitfalls that sufferers and non-sufferers face.
Discuss this topical story with an understanding of mental health brought forward by John Ryan.
George Michael’s Mental Anguish Discussed by John Ryan
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 by andyGeorge Michael’s Mental Anguish Discussed by John Ryan
So, George Michael received an 8 week sentence. We can joke about him singing ‘Freedom’ or ‘Lets go Outside’ but let’s face it he has lost his liberty and if he is lucky might get to go outside for short periods when he isn’t on a lock down. How will prison affect his mental health? The reality is that even with the right support he will have a tough time coping with being away from family, friends and the comforts of home. Anxiety and depression are a prisoner’s bedmates and the long term effects are the sort of things that Comedian john Ryan talks about in his shows ‘Cracking Up’ and ‘Beyond Prison’.
Invite John Ryan to discuss this issue by contacting:
Andrew Dingley at Comic Voice Management
andrew@hahaheehee.com | 0845 459 56 56 ext.227
JOHN RYAN
“Upbeat, interesting and unique” ITV
“A five star performer” LBC Radio
Edinburgh Highlight award winner
The irresistibly amiable John Ryan uses his acerbic wit and seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of the world around him to keep any audience on their toes. His East End Irish upbringing gives him the rare ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
John Ryan – Men’s Health Event – Operation Checkmate
Thursday, July 29th, 2010 by andy
OPERATION CHECKMATE – SATURDAY 19 JUNE 2010
MEN’S HEALTH EVENT – PLYMOUTH NHS
“John Ryan comedian and Master of Ceremonies for the day drew large crowds where members of the public not only benefitted from a good laugh but gained valuable information as well. The day was a great success thanks to John and it is true that laughter is the best medicine!
Over 100 men had health MOT’s (30% of which were referred to other services). 70 received stop smoking advice, over 80 were given skin cancer awareness information and 75 new blood donors were registered.
500 pedometers and water bottles were distributed, in fact we ran out such was their popularity!
The events focus was on getting men more active. Over 100 took a rowing challenge, over 200 took football and bike challenges. Top scorers got some great prizes including the best sports quiz team.”
Community Public Health Practitioner, Public Health Development Unit
A word from John himself: “The day started out with me avoiding the full English breakfast at the hotel. I felt a bit guilty bulking up on the calories before talking to a crowd about their health. However I got as far as the muesli when the smell of the bacon wafted over. The waitress assured me that it was grilled so I figured it was healthy. Plymouth is a lively town and there was a good crowd many of whom remembered me from last year. The brief was straightforward, we needed to encourage the public to take up some of the many opportunities for health checks, and tips for a healthier lifestyle that were littered around the place. This they did in very ‘healthy’ numbers. The south west has the highest rates of skin cancer in the UK so there was plenty of opportunities to mention the free sun cream and other preventative measures available. The highlight of the day was being able to offer free condoms with my advice to “keep it zipped up and you wont need these’. All in all another great day and I even managed to avoid the chips with my grilled meat and salad (aka a kebab). Roll on next year.”
John Ryan – Can Mental Health Make Good Comedy?
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 by andyThe Guardian Reviews: James Anthony – 21.04.10
It’s not the done thing to laugh at mental health issues. Just ask Steve Penk. Strange, as most comedians react to taboos like bulls to a matador’s cape. As John Ryan, standup comic and compere of Cracking Up!, says, “You hear comedians doing jokes about paedophilia, rape, child abuse, murder … no one’s making jokes about mental health.” (Example Video Clip Above)
Cracking Up! is about to change that, helping to reduce stigma by normalising mental health problems. It’s a variety night – a mix of comedy, sketches and poetry based on research and featuring contributions from people who have experienced mental health difficulties. Developed by NHS Surrey, the show has had a successful local run (including tough gigs such as Woking Football Club), selling out in its two-days in London, and could be coming to a club, theatre, school or business seminar near you.
One of the reasons people can laugh at jokes dealing with the taboos Ryan describes is they are relatively rare. It’s unlikely that someone in a comedy show audience has been directly affected by child abuse (although Jim Jeffries was famously confronted by a member of the audience who felt the comic’s bad-uncle gag was too close to home); one in four people are directly affected by mental illness. Monday’s sold-out theatre, if not quite the hard evidence needed to back up that figure, at least proved that many people are curious. Questioning revealed that a number of charity workers and mental health service users were among the audience.
It’s all very worthy, this desire to improve empathy. But is it funny? When I went along to find out, I realised I’d never seen anything like it before – and judging by the nervous atmosphere during the first half, neither had the rest of the audience. But any anxieties were assuaged by the compere: Ryan was personable and accessible, yet mischievous and willing to push boundaries. Once the audience realised what was going on, second-half laughs came easily and heartily. It felt inclusive and empowering.
Gareth Berliner has Crohn’s disease, and appears on stage with what must surely be a comedy first: a backpack containing a pump, which is connected directly to his heart. Undoing the valve, Berliner cheerfully related, would result in his swift and bloody death. He then told us about his botched suicide attempt. While fascinating in a morbid way, this is hardly a laughing matter. But on Monday night, delivered in Berliner’s twinkling style, it was a killer gag. In fact, it’s a good example of the obstacles the show faces: while mental health is still a hard sell, it needs to be pricked, laughed at, normalised – and ultimately accepted.
Cracking Up! proves that a comedy show about mental health can be hilarious. It’s a relief to see an agenda-led project, which mixes arts with education, deliver its message without preaching. But once it has raised its issues, the question is whether people are willing to face them head-on.
John Ryan explains…
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