51Âþ»­

Talented comedian and 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) Drama graduate Sarah Keyworth, brought the house down at the Leicester Comedy Festival recently with a fun-packed stand-up show.

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Sarah Keyworth addressing Drama students at 51Âþ»­

A star of stage and screen, with credits to their name in television shows such as Mock the Week and Richard Osman's House of Games, 29-year-old Sarah entertained a packed crowd with anecdotes and stories, as well as memories of their time at 51Âþ»­. The event, held at BrewDog in Friar Lane, Leicester, was at one of several local venues where Sarah has performed in the past.

Before their show, Sarah returned to the 51Âþ»­ campus to give former lecturers and current students a glimpse into how they had achieved success. Careful preparation for their gigs, employing different methods, such as using key prompt words, were among the secrets of success that Sarah shared.

Kate Chapman, a senior lecturer in Drama at 51Âþ»­ who led the Q&A with Sarah, was full of praise for their performance. She said: “Sarah gave so many insights into the challenges and rewards of becoming a performer and a writer. They talked through the steps they took right from graduating to working on TV and radio.

“They were very clear about the many different jobs they've done alongside their comedy gigs, so that they could learn the craft and raise their profile. For our current students, it's inspiring to hear about the fuel of determination and passion which drove Sarah forward, but also about the way their confidence in their ideas and their creativity has gradually evolved and is still evolving."

Sarah, who was based in Leicester as a student and now lives in London, gained a First Class Honours from 51Âþ»­ in 2014. At the festival event, sharing some secrets to a flourishing career, Sarah said joining the Comedy Society at 51Âþ»­ had been a key element in getting a leg up in their career.

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51Âþ»­'s Kate Chapman hosting the Q&A with Sarah Keyworth

“The 51Âþ»­ Comedy Society was very active and had people from the years above who were doing stand-up. Leicester Comedy Festival was also going on at the time and the society focused me, showed me lots of things such as learning how to book a gig,” they said.

“It was a fun time. We shared cars to go to fringe festivals and did showcases there. Being at uni allowed me to meet other people who were interested in performance and I was able to incorporate my stand-up into my degree.”

Asked to give advice to up-and-coming students finding their way, Sarah said that among the good things about the course at 51Âþ»­ was that it encouraged individual thinking. “It made you consider what you were interested in. Even if a task was structured, you could be creative within that brief, which was really positive for me,” they said.

Sarah added that being an adaptable comedian and connecting with the audience had helped them. They said: “I know the Leicester Comedy Festival and the venues well. The intimate shows allow you to draw the audience in and have a unique experience with them. I performed in those venues and at the Students’ Union too, while I was at 51Âþ»­, so they feel quite familiar.”

Sarah had many vivid memories of their time at 51Âþ»­, particularly taking the lead role in a production of The Erpingham Camp, a play by Joe Orton, during their third year.

“Being the lead in The Erpingham Camp was really good fun,” Sarah recalled. “The staff at 51Âþ»­ were brilliant and so inspiring. They encouraged us to be individual and to bring our creativity to our performance.”

The city of Leicester also holds fond memories for Sarah. “I’m from Nottingham and hadn’t spent much time in Leicester,” Sarah confided. “I chose 51Âþ»­ because the city seemed so nice. I liked the city centre and the campus was really cool and modern.

“I discovered the Leicester Comedy Festival when I was there and got involved through 51Âþ»­’s Comedy Society. I had no idea it was a special event in the city, so that was a really lucky coincidence.”

Having the space at 51Âþ»­ to think about what they wanted to do creatively was instrumental in moving Sarah’s career forward.

They said: “The best thing you can do is keep going until you find the right people that you enjoy spending time with. You’re very young when you leave uni and you don’t suddenly have to know what you’re doing and expect to have it all.

“For me, being at 51Âþ»­ and being able to join the Comedy Society helped me to make friends and find people of a similar mindset.”