Laughter without Limits

Disabled Cants has been a touring showcase for over a year now under Benny's stewardship, popping up across the country at pubs, cafes and even a care home in one instance.

"We’ll play anywhere that’s accessible – we'll bring the comedy to you.”

Featuring a revolving door of established comics, up and comers and complete beginners the night moves at a breakneck pace. Each comic gets five to ten minutes for their set, it is punchy, laugh-a-minute stand up with little room for pause.

In between each set Benny flits back and forth tearing down and rebuilding the stage as needed for the next act – all while keeping the audience on their toes, throwing quips out and working the crowd into a furore.

Katie Johnson joined the DC line up last year after a chance meeting with Benny. For Katie, DC has been an on-ramp to the comedy circuit and a chance to hone her skills. "Opportunities to break into the industry are hard to come by, so it’s important that they exist."

Touring city to city has brought a different challenge, that of accessibility. Every venue must be accessible to myriad different disabilities, for the audience and the performers.

 “When I started performing six years ago there weren’t many accessible venues at all,” Benny says, but he stresses it’s improving, “They’re popping up everywhere now”

“Promoters have realised to get a diverse line up they need to be accessible for everyone.”

Accessible for people like Joseph Quinn, who made his comic debut at a DC showcase in January. Aided

First conceived for the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 by stand-up Steve Day, Disabled Cants has always been more about the laughs than the lessons. "We’re not brave, we’re not inspiring, we’re just here to make you laugh and park in the disabled bays," reads the DC homepage.

Katie sums it up best, "At the end of the day, it’s a funny gig with funny people who happen to be disabled."

Irreverent and joyful from the first, DC aims to represent disabled people on their own terms.

"I think having control over our own narratives is really important... when something is joked about, it is normalised, so humour is a great tool to challenge social perceptions," said Katie.