Cracking up: can mental health make good comedy?

(From Guardian Unlimited)

It's not the done thing to laugh at mental health issues. Just ask Steve Penk . Strange, as most comedians react to taboos like bulls to a matador's cape. As John Ryan, standup comic and compere of Cracking Up! , says, "You hear comedians doing jokes about paedophilia, rape, child abuse, murder ... no one's making jokes about mental health."

Cracking Up! is about to change that, helping to reduce stigma by normalising mental health problems. It's a variety night -- a mix of comedy, sketches and poetry based on research and featuring contributions from people who have experienced mental health difficulties. Developed by NHS Surrey, the show …