THERE’S a good reason why comedian Chris McCausland is determined to see the funny side of sight loss. Chris became blind as a teenager due to a hereditary eye disease.

But it was only when he lost his job several years later due to depression, that he turned to comedy.

“I was losing my sight all the way through childhood,” he says. “I could never read the letters on the blackboard or anything at school.”

His sight got so bad in his 20s that he was forced to give up his job as a website designer and became unemployed. He admits he was, “a little bit depressed” and, “started drinking a little bit more than I should.”

Then he says he got a job in a call centre which he says helped to sort him out and it was while he was working in telesales that he started to take an interest in comedy and decided to give it a go. He says he “dared” himself to write five minutes of material and perform it at an open mic night to see if he really was funny.

“I didn’t set the world alight, but people laughed more than once - enough to make me have another go,” he says.

It took another two years before Chris, now 40, established himself on the comedy circuit. He has appeared on Live at the Apollo and Celebrity Deal and No Deal with Jimmy Carr.

Closer to home, Chris will be performing at Coastal Comedy on Good Friday at Hotel Celebrity in Bournemouth alongside TV comic Sean McLoughlin.

Also appearing on the night is Phil Lucas from Brighton who is described as “a master of digital tomfoolery”.

Doors open at 7.15pm, show starts at 8.30pm. Tickets £15 in advance (£20 on the door). Call 01202 316316 or see wegottickets