Mark Ridley “King of Comedy Castle”

Mark can remember his years as a class clown and his desire to make people laugh. He knew back then that it had to be good for you.

Now, after 30 years in the comedy club business, he is sure of it.  As he says, “I’ve laughed myself young.”

Mark’s insight on the value of laughter for our health was spot on.  He often hears from his audience, as they leave, “I laughed so hard my stomach hurt!”

Mark’s great response is, “your body releases endorphins that help with your aches and pain.  It also helps with overall stress relief from your busy life.”

As the producer, I said, “laughter is free, too.”  Mark still ever so quick witted immediately said, “Yeah but not here at the Comedy Castle.  You have to pay for it.  And you know what? It’s one of the best investments you will make for yourself.”

Mark will be a great addition to our film on how to approach aging in a healthy manner.

From the Harvard Medical School

A duck walks into a bar. . . . It’s a joke! Hearing just the first few words, your brain springs into action. The path of neuronal activity is a complex one that enlists various brain regions: the frontal lobe, to process the information; the supplementary motor area, to tap learned experience to direct motor activities such as the movements associated with laughter; and the nucleus accumbens, to assess the pleasure of the story and the reward that the “aha!” brings. When the punch line hits home, your heart rate rises, you jiggle with mirth, and your brain releases “feel good” neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and an array of endorphins.