WHAT do you get if you cross Harry Hill, a former investment banker and a group of recovered addicts?
A new organisation delivering master classes in stand-up comedy, of course.
OK, so as a punchline it's not perfect.
But Kirstie Macdonald and Mark Christian, founders of social enterprise Laughing Matters, believe it is a great way to rebuild the self-confidence of people who have had difficulties in their life.
"If you can make people laugh, then it's great therapy," said Miss Macdonald, a former investment banker, who came up with the idea for Laughing Matters while studying at the University Of Nottingham.
"The most important thing is being able to take negative experiences and turn them into something positive. The aim is to put people into a situation where they feel safe and where they can learn to express themselves creatively, but also use tricks comedians use to build confidence and develop that stage persona."
Laughing Matters, which works in partnership with comedy club Just The Tonic, has launched its first four-week course for recovered alcohol and drug addicts.
It is run by professional comedian Sam Avery, from Liverpool. Participants will learn how to generate ideas and turn them into comedy routines. At the end of the four-week course, participants perform in a show for family and friends.
A pilot course in May achieved dramatic results: Austin Rees, 47, of Hyson Green, had used drugs since he was 14 but since the course, he has taken part in open mic nights in London and Nottingham and wants to perform at festivals.
"It was awesome," he said. "It's something I've always wanted to try and this gave me the confidence crack on.
"It's made a massive difference to my life. When you have treatment for drug addiction, they tell you to find something to fill the hole giving up drugs will leave and I was lucky to find Laughing Matters."
A fundraising concert featuring celebrity comedians, including Harry Hill and Paul Foot, will be held in September to help the social enterprise expand.
Money raised will fund future courses to help additional groups of people, such as children leaving care and people with mental health problems.
Miss Macdonald, 40, of Mapperley, said: "We were absolutely ecstatic with the feedback from the pilot because it is innovative and experimental."
Mr Christian, 32, of Sherwood, who is an administrator for Just The Tonic, said the pilot had worked better than they had ever imagined.
"We knew that generating their own material and presenting in an amusing way would be a huge confidence boost but we didn't realise how beneficial other aspects would be," he said.
"Other areas, like the creative aspect and the performance, were also beneficial in that people took those skills away and applied them in their everyday life."
For more information about Laughing Matters, go to www.justthetonic.com/laughing-matters.
