Grief Chat: Laughing Through Grief


Our informal Grief Chats bring together two people who have processed or used their grief in a similar way. Here, host Mark Lemon talks with two women who use humour to cope with their grief.
Alexa Gibbens is a circus performer and teacher, as well as a fledgling stand-up comedian. Just as she was finishing her Contemporary Circus and Physical Theatre degree in 2018, her dad died suddenly from a stroke. Alexa has since used the knowledge gained through her degree, as well as a love of stand-up comedy, to create her debut one-woman show: Alexa, Tell Us a Dad Joke, an irreverent exploration of grief, loss and love.
Jen Rhodes is a proud Northerner and gravy lover. In 2018, she lost her dad to an accident. Feeling rudderless, she took her first tentative steps into stand-up comedy. Jen was a Funny Women semi-finalist in 2019 and co-runs her own Bristol comedy night, Funny Side Up, with some very funny and supportive friends. When Jen isn’t performing or working, you can often find her watching re-runs of Eurovision.

Facilitators

Facilitator bio Mark Lemon

Mark Lemon