A comic who has toured with icons like John Bishop and Frankie Boyle is bringing the 'first sign language comedy in the world' to Winchester this week. 

On March the 30th, Ray Bradshaw will be performing his hilarious and unique new stand- up show, “Deaf Com”, at The Arc. 

Ray has already visited and performed in forty-four different venues across the UK and Australia in what he has described as “the first sign-language comedy in the world”.

Born to deaf parents, Ray has made it his journey to make comedy that is accessible to all.

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Whilst performing his shows, the Scottish stand-up enjoys the feeling that he is always somewhat “close to home” having grown up closely associated in the world of sign language.

His show is inclusive for everyone, and Ray has made it known that he would not only like people to be laughing along but also “learning on the go” about sign-language.

The Scotsman’s witty talent has been exposed in recent years when he toured with John Bishop in 2021 and 2022, as Ray performed his act in front of eleven-thousand people at a packed-out O2 Arena.

The tour helped form a special friendship between Ray and John Bishop, with Ray describing the Liverpudlian as a “humble and down to earth man”.

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Despite Ray’s recent successes on tour, his journey in comedy has not come without it’s struggles.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, numerous comedians, like Ray, struggled for work because of the strict isolation laws that were in place at the time. The Glaswegian explained: “Covid was difficult because I had no work.”

“There were no gigs or comedy clubs open, we just had to just have shows on zoom.”

The comic has commended the unity and support of the comedy community, particularly after the pandemic, by saying: “You work for people, but people also work with you. There is a real community.”

Ray will be performing at The Arc on Thursday, March the 30th with tickets costing £15.