Laughter is the Best Medicine 2010

On Monday 18 January 2010, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity Performing Arts Programme held a free evening of comedy, live music and entertainment for patients, staff and visitors to the hospitals.

‘Laughter is the Best Medicine 2010’ aimed to rid people of their January blues, bringing award-winning comedians Milton Jones and Patrick Monahan to perform in front of 130 guests at Governors’ Hall, St Thomas’.

There was a drinks reception at the start of the evening, in which guests were treated to the uplifting afro-latin rhythms of Majagua, a South American musical trio, and caricatures by caricature artist Paul Raymonde.

The first comedian to take the stage was Patrick Monahan, an Irish/Iranian/Geordie comic, whose chatty, down-to-earth style was an instant hit with the audience. Patrick managed to talk and joke with staff, patients and students about hospital life, enjoying some banter with Jim Kelly, a cleaner at the Trust, as well as telling stories about his own unusual childhood.

Next came Milton Jones, whose deadpan and deliberately strange comic style contrasted perfectly with Patrick. Milton delivered a string of outrageously funny and silly one-liners, which had the audience in stitches (!). His clever wordplay and seamless coverage of a whole range of subjects, from the medical to the mundane, left everybody wanting more.

Milton Jones	Patrick Monahan

Catherine Afolabi, a Senior Assurance Manager at the Trust who attended the comedy night, said: “The event certainly helped to chase away the blues in what can be a difficult 'in-between' time – with Christmas over, holidays still a long time away, and pay day not here yet! I came with my husband and we both really enjoyed it - it made me feel valued as a member of staff and was also a great way to contribute to the Charity!”

Governors' Hall was packed out	Staff at the Trust posing with the comedians