Brave former soldiers laugh off the traumas of war with stand-up comedy gig

24 June 2023 , 20:49

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Former soldiers are being taught how to “turn their trauma into funny” (Image: Reach Commissioned/Steve Bainbridge)

Laughter is said to be the best medicine – and this could be the proof.

Former soldiers are being taught how to “turn their trauma into funny” in a bid to overcome mental struggles.

Tonight, nine students of an NHS-sponsored stand-up comedy course will perform for a paying London audience.

And among them is Troy Conner, 44, who was injured by a bomb in Afghanistan in 2009. He was offered a place on the classes run by London’s Comedy School in January.

Troy said: “This course has been absolutely life-changing.

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“I’ve become part of a little team of veterans who get together once a week to have a laugh and challenge each other – and I have loved it.

Brave former soldiers laugh off the traumas of war with stand-up comedy gig

Troy and Dean Helliwell have both taken part in stand-up comedy classes which are being trialed on the NHS (Reach Commissioned/Steve Bainbridge)

The Lance Corporal was the only survivor of four men in a vehicle that hit a mine. Medically discharged in 2012 after suffering head, back, eye and leg injuries, he learned how to walk and talk again but sank into depression.

He struggled to cope with losing his three friends, the guilt of being the only survivor and the loss of the career he loved.

He said: “10 years ago I never would have imagined I’d be able to stand up on a stage and perform stand-up comedy, no way. I was too ashamed, I was too guilty, I was too depressed."

Troy, from Halifax, West Yorks, draws on his time in the First Battalion of the Parachute Regiment for his stand-up material.

He said: “I’m not an oil painting any more. I’ve got a big scar on my head from brain surgery.

“You’ve got to be brave to talk about these things in a jovial way but it is such a great feeling when you do.

“In my set, I say that a big, tall guy said to me in the pub, ‘How did you get a scar like that on your head?’

“I said, ‘Oh, don’t you worry about it, I cut myself shaving.’ He said to me, ‘It must have been some razor’. I said, ‘Yeah, it were a samurai sword.’ That shut him up.’

He added: “I’ve also got a metal plate on the right side of my head. It’s not the bling type. It’s not gold, it’s not silver, it’s not even bronze.

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“It’s the type that sets all the alarms off at the airport. But it saved my life and I’ve got to be thankful for that because I’m still here and I’m doing these things.”

Another veteran in the team is Dean Helliwell, 33, whose life fell apart when he started suffering night terrors after returning from the war zone.

Dean had nightmares after returning from the warzone

One of his recurring nightmares was seeing a young Afghan lad blow himself up after accidentally stepping on an improvised explosive device he had planted outside their camp. Dean, who joined at 16 and served in the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster Regiment for six years, turned to alcohol.

“One night I had a couple of pints before bed and slept like a baby,” he said. “It got to the point where I was drinking 15 or 16 cans a night.”

Dean, who now has his own building company, eventually kicked his alcohol problem – and after starting at the Comedy School his night terrors have also gone.

He said: “I really do enjoy it and I hope I will be able to carry on doing it. I would love to be able to do stand-up as a profession.”

The one-year course is funded by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, the National Lottery Community Fund and Op Courage – an NHS service to help struggling veterans.

Sponsors are being sought to keep it going next year.

Troy was injured by a bomb in Afghanistan in 2009

Tutor Mr Cee said: “Over the weeks you see somebody who was very, very nervous start to enjoy themselves.

“A lot of stress and mental health issues are amplified when they are kept inside. So by giving veterans the confidence to be comfortable in standing up in front of other people and expressing themselves, that is really powerful.

“It is about taking trauma and turning it into funny.

“I strongly believe everybody is born with a funny gene. It is a natural thing to laugh and make people laugh. What we try to do is get people back into that state of mind.”