Next Level Stand-up Comedy Course: Sharpen your act. Break into the next level. Get paid.

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-time professionals (who have often then made the leap after past courses with Chris and Geoff).

It’ll be perfect for you if:

You are stuck in the endless cycle of unpaid 5 and 10 minute spots.

Or you’re doing some low paid 10s and want to advance.

Or you’re getting paid 20 minute gigs but not at the level you want.

If this is you, this course will help you break into the next level. It’s an an intensive, highly selective five step hybrid boot camp.

Step 1 is a review of your act and position on the circuit – step 5 is your paid gig! (Full details below).

Next dates (full details of each step below)

Autumn 2026

Step 1. MONDAY 19th OCT 7pm-9pm ON ZOOM,

Step 2. SATURDAY 24th OCT 2pm-5pm IN LONDON

Step 3. MONDAY EVENING 2^nd NOV 7pm-9pm ON ZOOM

Step 4. SATURDAY 7th NOV 2pm-5pm IN LONDON

Step 5. Paid gig!

Central London venue TBC

The sessions are led by renowned stand-up coach and director Chris Head alongside veteran industry professional (as an act, a booker and a manager) Geoff Whiting.

"We have had some really excellent results with previous candidates, many of whom are now doing regular paid work at the Mirth Control clubs, some of whom picked up Edinburgh Preview shows last year at the Mirth clubs and others who went from doing unpaid spots to the paid tens at the clubs after the course. The huge advantage for me is that I get to see you perform twice in a three Step period, and get to discuss the set with you and Chris, break it down and look at your stuff, offer advice and then help guide you on the best path to developing your stand-up career." GEOFF WHITING 

The 6 comics will be selected from the applicants. Details for how to apply are below.

Places are strictly capped at 6 acts to ensure intensive, personalised 1-on-1 coaching.

> Course Fee: £345

> Location: Central London (In-person sessions) & Zoom

Full course details below...

Please contact chris@chrishead.com if you are unsure if you are at the right level to apply for the course.

How It Works: The 5-Step Hybrid Format

The course combines live, collaborative online Zoom sessions with high-impact, in-person Saturday afternoons in London.

Ahead of the course, you send a video of your best 10 minutes (which could be an excerpt from a longer set or at the other extreme it could be 2 x 5 minutes sets).

Step 1 (Online Zoom Evening | 2 Hours): The Act & Circuit Audit

MONDAY EVENING 19th OCT 7pm-9pm ON ZOOM

In this opening step, Chris and Geoff identify your persona and your style of act. You’ll receive tips on how to sharpen up the ‘product’ you’re presenting in terms of content, look and comedy style, and we’ll discuss where you fit on the circuit and where you could go next.

Step 2 (In-Person London Saturday | 3 Hours): Punching up your Performance

SATURDAY 24th OCT 2pm-5pm IN LONDON

In this session you bring in three minutes of material to work intensively on your performance. Alongside working on this material, you will engage in stimulating performance exercises. We’ll look at delivery, timing, energy, act-outs, crowd work and how you can enhance all these areas. Lessons learned will apply to your whole act.

Central London venue TBC

There is a week’s gap before the next in person session to give you time to work on what we have already explored.

Step 3 (Online Zoom Evening | 2 Hours): Punch up your Material

MONDAY EVENING 2^nd NOV 7pm-9pm ON ZOOM

In this session we work in real time on 5 minutes of scripted material you send ahead of the session as a script. If you don’t already have typed-up scripts, the act of typing up your material for this session will already be instructive and helpful in itself. In the session we’ll work on tightening lines, adding jokes, improving transitions, trimming the fat. Again, as well as this enhanced material, you will take away lessons that can be applied to all your material.

Step 4 (In-Person London Saturday | 3 Hours): Performing the 5 Minutes and Crowd Work

SATURDAY 7th NOV 2pm-5pm IN LONDON

In this session you will perform the five minutes we worked on, taking into account the earlier performance and persona insights. We’ll also work on developing your crowd work, so that your delivery of the material feels fully in the moment and in the room. We’ll also give you tools to handle the unpredictable, like heckling. Central London venue TBC

Step 5 (Live In-Person | Evening): Your Paid Gig

Rather than the regular comedy course showcase, your graduation performance is a paid gig booked by Mirth Control. You will perform your newly sharpened set in front of a paying audience—and you will be paid a professional fee for your performance. The gig will be selected to be a step up from your typical bookings.

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How to Apply

This course is not for absolute beginners. Because we are guaranteeing a paid booking on a professional line-up, all applicants must be active on the circuit.

To apply, please email chris@chrishead.com with:

EMAIL TITLE: NEXT LEVEL COURSE

1. A brief summary of your gigging experience (how long you've been performing, roughly how many gigs you've done, how often you gig).

2. Describe the kinds of gigs you currently do and where you’d like to get to.

3. A link to a video of a recent set. We’ll watch 3 minutes so please feel free to send a link that takes us to a strong section.

Applications close at midnight on Monday 5th October - but it's first come-first served so don't delay!

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The Coaches

Geoff Whiting: One of the UK’s most influential independent comedy bookers. Over 25 years, Geoff has booked strong line-ups for thousands of gigs, launched the careers of household names and has himself done over 7000 gigs.

Chris Head: Comedy coach, live comedy director and author of three books, “The Complete Comedy Script Toolkit”, "Creating Comedy Narratives for Stage and Screen" and "A Director's Guide to the Art of Stand-up". Chris teaches stand-up and comedy and scriptwriting at BBC Writers, the British Library and Bath Spa University,