Comedy night set to raise much needed funds for Wolverhampton homeless charity

‘Stand up for Change’ is a night featuring top quality stand-up comedy from headliner Josh Pugh, Lindsey Santoro, and Jack Kirwan and Andy McBurney, taking place at the Wulfrun Hall on Friday, March 28. 

Proceeds from the event will be invested into the range of support services delivered by the Good Shepherd to help people from across the city.

The night at the Wulfrun Hall follows many successful previous comedy nights linked to the Good Shepherd, including Josh, Jack and Andy performing at the ECC Sports & Social Club, and Clinton Baptiste and others at the Cleveland Arms, who have supported the charity for many years.

Good Shepherd CEO Tom Hayden said: “This is a new departure for us, building on the success of previous comedy nights, which we always really appreciate, by going to the iconic City Centre venue and delivering an event at the Wulfrun Hall.

“From the moment we approached The Halls, they have been incredibly supportive both of our work in the community and what we are trying to achieve, and have supported us every step of the way.

“As one of our ambassadors, Jack has also played a key part in the process, and we are so grateful to him and Andy, to Josh, and Lindsey, for giving up their time for the Good Shepherd.

“They are all fantastic performers in their own right, and we know that anyone who comes along is in for a night of great entertainment, whilst also helping to improve the lives of people from Wolverhampton at the same time.”

Venue staff from the Halls will also be volunteering on the night to help the event run smoothly.

Crissie Rushton, general manager at The Halls, said: “As a venue, we’re really pleased to support Good Shepherd and the vital work they do in our communities.

“When they approached us to discuss the Stand Up For Change event, we immediately knew that we wanted to be involved and offer up our venue in any way we could. 

"Many of our staff are already supporters of the charity and have kindly volunteered their time on the night to help make the event a success and we’re really proud of that.”

Josh Pugh began performing a decade ago in 2014 and was named English Comedian of the Year in 2016. 

He has appeared on shows such as Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week and Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza, written jokes for the likes of 8 of out 10 Cats Does Countdown and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.   

Having previously supported Ricky Gervais, Josh has headlined several successful national tours of his own, playing to sellout crowds across the country as well as abroad.

Lindsey Santoro is an award-winning comedian based in Birmingham whose credits include performing on Comedy Central, Live at the Apollo, Dave, Channel 4 and across the BBC Radio.

Having emerged as one of the most original female voices to emerge from the West Midlands, Lindsey’s straight-talking observational comedy saw her win Next Up’s Biggest Award in Comedy for the most outstanding show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and she has also supported Joe Lycett, Russell Kane, Tom Davis and Laura Smyth.

Born and bred in the Scotlands in Wolverhampton, Jack Kirwan is well known for his development of comedic characters, notably Gary Powndland and Tash Powndland, and has been on the circuit for more than a decade, including performances in his home city at the Civic Hall and Grand Theatre.

He has formed a writing and performing partnership with his friend Andy McBurney, regularly delivering creative new material, which will also be part of ‘Stand Up For Change’ in March.

The show also comes at a time when Jack is branching out and looking to perform more as himself, but will include a bit of Gary Powndland.

He said: “I am really proud to be an ambassador for the Good Shepherd and love being involved in the work of the charity.

“So being able to combine that with my love of comedy with everyone working together to put on this event is something I am really looking forward to.

“It’s going to be a brilliant show and a brilliant night, a chance to come along and have a great time whilst also raising really important for he funds of the Good Shepherd.”

Tickets to the show on March 28 cost £23.65.

To find out more about the event and to buy tickets, go to the event webpage.