Comedy night has line-up of autistic performers

"I felt a sense of injustice that there were so many talented comics that, through no fault of their own, could not take part in stand‑up comedy and I was determined to address that," said Mark Nicholas.

The stand‑up comedian is marking World Autism Acceptance by organising an upcoming east London event where every performer on the bill is autistic.

The event is being staged by Laugh-Able, an organisation founded by Nicholas to run comedy nights for disabled performers and make the London comedy scene more accessible.

Nicholas set up the project after beginning his own comedy career and meeting many disabled and neurodivergent comedians who found it difficult to break into the industry.

"What I want this event to demonstrate is that not only do autistic people cope incredibly well at a comedy night but they also demonstrate how incredibly talented they are as performers," Nicholas told the BBC.

He said he hoped the show would widen audiences' understanding of autism, adding that each comic would represent a "unique experience of what it means to be on the spectrum".

Nicholas, who is also autistic, said each comic faces different challenges on stage, but that this largely varied depending on the individual.

He added: "Some of us struggle in busy environments but some of us thrive in them and need the noise.

"If you are hypersensitive to sound, lights, noise, being at a live comedy event can really affect your ability to focus."

The aim was for spaces like Laugh‑Able to remove many of the factors that may concern autistic performers, by making adjustments that improve accessibility.

"We had an autistic act at our last gig who needed a table at the back on their own, with ear defenders.

"Once they got on stage, they were absolutely brilliant," he said.

According to Nicholas, the event is designed to be welcoming for audiences as well as performers, with relaxed performance adjustments in place "so the audience can move about as they please - which is ideal for neurodivergent people".

The comedy nights operate on a pay-what-you-can basis and can be free if needed.

"People should not be priced out of anything," he said, adding that it is "quite often disabled and neurodivergent people that have financially suffered the most in these times".

Laugh-Able has been working with the Ilford‑based disability charity One Place East for more than six years and has hosted events at Wanstead Library throughout that time.

The over-18s event will be held on Wednesday 15 April at Wanstead Library, Redbridge. Doors open at 19:00 BST.

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