My August 2026 newsletter Hi all, My desire not to avoid the overused phrase "deep dive" led to me coining "profound plunge" which I debuted in my new book The Complete Comedy Script Toolkit. (Just one place left by the way on my upcoming live Zoom couse where you will Write Your TV Comedy Script in six weeks. And I do one-to-one script coaching too) I do like 'profound plunge' but, for this newsletter I wanted to debut a new phrase to describe the depths I'm going to in my

This unique hybrid Next Level Stand-up Course with Online and London sessions will develop your material and performance, and help you break into the next level of gigs. Most stand-up comedy courses end in a showcase. This one ends in a guaranteed paid gig! 6 PLACES ONLY! This is for you if you’re a stand-up who is gigging regularly and you’re ready to progress. This course works for relative newcomers who are gigging regularly, right up to those on the verge of becoming full

My live sketch comedy course in Stroud, starting September 2026. Info & Booking. In a live comedy sketch show, whole scenes and situations can be conjured up out of thin air with perhaps just a few chairs, minimal costume and mimed props. And like a stand-up performance, you can break the fourth wall and talk to the audience. To get a flavour of the style, check out the video above of the brilliant lo-fi sketch double-act Two Episodes of Mash, with Joe Wilkinson and Diane Mor

All stand-up storytelling involves exaggerating and editing, merging characters, changing details etc. You can also tell a quick lie as you build up the story and withdraw it again. This approach came up in the session I did with a German comic I coached this week on Zoom. (More info on Zoom coaching here). She had a gag that I don’t want to give away, but to give you a flavour of the idea let’s say it was about her not saying a word to her mother from the age of 5 to 15. Her

Cassius Green having got the telemarketing job (and NOT an image of a slug destroying the planet - see the blog if that statement is puzzling you!) Recently, in the Guardian Weekend supplement, the actor Indira Varma was asked about her greatest fear, and she replied: “Slugs. And planetary annihilation”. This is a dramatic leap from a small to a gigantic fear. (I was tempted to illustrate this blog with an image of a snail annihilating the planet - but decided not to add to t

Are you doing an Edinburgh comedy show this year? Perhaps you’ve got a lot of stand-up material you need to shape for the show? Here is a show structure that I work with to organise the material into a three-part structure to effectively pace the content and maintain audience engagement. Part 1 (approx. 10 minutes): Start by establishing your persona. Select the material that best sets up who you are and where you’re coming from. At the end of this section, set up the central

Maria Bamford talking about her raccoon like behaviour (see 'animal anlogies' below). I'm writing a series of blogs rounding up recent comedy writing games and inspiration I've been sharing over on my Substack. Here are the first three prompts. TAKE A CONTRARIAN STANCE In one of my Zoom stand-up material generation sessions we explored Daniel Sloss’ attitude to Death. As Sloss says, society dictates that we treat death as a tragedy because “every life is precious”. He then t

Live London stand-up crowd work coaching session for gigging acts My video features a great example of crowd work from Taylor Tomlinson, and I’m going to discuss how you too can do crowd work in Tomlinson style! Firstly though, how do you find the right person to talk to, whatever approach you’re taking? Even before you go on, you can pre-scan the room for specific "types". Before you even go on stage, discreetly scan the crowd to find specific demographic types that fit your

The video is an excerpt from my Zoom Stand-up Comedy Writing Sessions for gigging comics - I run the course regularly throughout the year - and every class is different. Here are the latest dates. Do you ever feel like a "fish out of water"? This is a great starting point for stand-up comedy material. Think about situations where you do not belong, lack the necessary skills, or feel completely out of place. I did various temp jobs in my early twenties. Now, I’m a bit of an ar

I originally wrote about this within my viral blog on creating one-liner jokes. (Over 17,000 reads of a blog is definitely viral for me!) Here I go into more depth on this stimulating starting point for gags and above is a video from a recent Zoom stand-up writing class. I run the course regularly throughout the year - and every class is different. Here are the latest dates. An inspiring yet often overlooked source of joke material is statistics. A stat can be the perfect set

Kevin Hart's storytelling masterclass analysed. The video in this blog is an excerpt from my Zoom Stand-up Comedy Writing Sessions for gigging comics - I run the course regularly throughou the year - and every class is different. Here are the latest dates. The video provides my detailed analysis of the stand-up storytelling techniques used by Kevin Hart in his story about swearing at school. The analysis breaks down how Hart employs techniques such as establishing present-day

How a comedian's look communicates their persona. As a stand-up comedian, your choice of your attire is not merely a matter of personal taste but a fundamental element in the construction of your stage persona. The above video explores how comedians craft a memorable visual identity to align with or playfully contrast their material. Read on for more on how ensuring your look is both integral to your act and unforgettable to an audience and a booker. I have a two part comedy

Where are you on the spectrum from grown up to childish/ realist to dreamer/ wise to stupid? A snippet from my Zoom Stand-up Comedy Persona class with participant stand-ups artfully concealed! I have a two part comedy class on Zoom where I work with stand-ups on identifying and developing their persona ( next dates June 1st & 8th 2026 ). In the above video you can see the class in action where a group of fellow comedians analyse a stand-ups persona in the online session. You

Iliza Schlesinger had the experience of asking a man on a date what his middle name was. He told her, but he didn’t follow up by asking hers. This didn’t feel right. How does the bare bones of this become stand-up – and how can you create stand-up out of your own simple observation? The video is an excerpt from my Zoom Stand-up Comedy Writing Sessions for gigging comics - I run the course regularly throughout the year - and every class is different. Here are the latest dates.

In this slightly late festive blog and video I explore using the 'as if' and 'undercutting' tools in comedy writing plus I look at the comedy of characters behaving out of character. All illustrated by a Christmas Peep Show Clip but the techniques can be used all year round! Here I discuss three key comedic elements as seen in a Peep Show Christmas clip. I’d meant to make this clip on Boxing Day but I’ve been in such a Christmas stupor that it’s taken me to the 28 th . No ma

The video is an excerpt from my Zoom Stand-up Comedy Writing Sessions for gigging comics - I run the course regularly throughout the year - and every class is different. Here are the latest dates. In this Christmas blog, my gift to you is a breakdown of some classic stand-up techniques you can use in your comedy or speaking, based on examples found in a festive Jack Dee clip. In this festive themed article I discuss: writing jokes based on found phrases, the technique of mis

When writing a comedy scene or a sketch aim to have contrasting energies in the scene Firstly, the classic comedy sketch or scene features a clash of behaviour: * One character behaves normally for the situation. * The other character behaves in an absurd or unreasonable way for the situation. In the above video, the shop assistant in the langerie department appears to be the normal, reasonable one, but as the (Smack the Pony) sketch develops she starts to exhibit unusual

Here are some thoughts on getting started with a your brand new TV comedy script and here is TV SCRIPT WRITING COURSE I’m running to get the script written! Here are the steps: Choose the Location: Pick a setting you are genuinely interested in (or that infuriates you!). Create Flawed Characters: Develop characters who are their own worst enemies so that they have a strong tendency to mess things up for themselves. Define Goals: Establish what each character wants in life, in

Video made by former BBC Comedy Commissioner Lucy Lumsden of Yellow Door Productions. The book is published under the new Yellow Door Books imprint. "The best book of this type available. The advice manages to be thorough and insightful - yet also digestible and easily applicable. It's very helpful, and so I would highly recommend it to any writer or comedian." Alex Bruce, BAFTA winning comedy writer The best comedy looks effortless, but behind every rollicking joke and every

A still from a Zoom comedy coaching session. As you can see, I am focused on answering your issues! I'll always give you practical ways forward with your stand-up, scripts and speaking. Live and interactive comedy coaching with me from wherever you are. Zoom coaching is wonderful! You can easily connect with me from wherever you are (and I can sit at my desk - see above! - and talk to people from around the UK, Europe and the world). I am supportive, insightful and give you p