No regrets?
John Fleming on the attitude it takes to be a comedian
23/02/2011 … Yesterday I had lunch with a comedian in her twenties – not inexperienced but not yet fully supporting herself on her comedy performing.
2011 Opinions
Chortle's Opinions section is an arena for fans to share their views on any aspect of comedy.
We invite general comment pieces about particular aspects of the comedy scene (although reviews of individual shows or performers tend not to be suited to this section except in very rare circumstances). Contributions should be at least 500 words in length, in a similar tone to something you might read in a broadsheet newspaper, and emailed to steve@chortle.co.uk
We reserve the right to edit pieces – although we will be careful not to change the meaning of anything – or not to use them at all. By submitting an article you grant Chortle indefinite licence to use it freely; though you retain the copyright on it to use it elsewhere.
Wed 23 February 2011
Tue 22 February 2011
Genius? It's all about taking risks
Sally Holloway on what makes a great comic
22/02/2011 … At Christmas, like everyone else, we get out our Christmas crackers and offer them to our guests.
Mon 21 February 2011
Bum notes
Ashley Frieze's guide to bad musical comedy
21/02/2011 … I’ve heard people complain that musical stand-up is cringeworthy, unfunny and unworthy of the conventional applause that most song endings trigger.
Thu 17 February 2011
Under pressure...
Diane Spencer on 'bringing her A-game'
17/02/2011 … ‘Some telly people want to see you, so bring your A game.
Wed 16 February 2011
A tale of two Fringes...
But the only predictable thing about Edinburgh is its unpredictability, writes John Fleming
16/02/2011 … A lot of people have been asking me about performing on the Fringe for the first time this year.
Thu 10 February 2011
You don't have to be paranoid to work here...
Dave Cohen on the curse of the comedian
10/02/2011 … If I had to describe the ten years I spent as a working stand-up in and around the Eighties using just one word, what would it be? An impossible task, but I reckon…
Wed 02 February 2011
Birth of a comedy scene
02/02/2011 … I did a run of gigs in Croatia last week, for the second time in two months – not expat gigs, but in front of locals on the new, if small, comedy circuit developing…
Tue 01 February 2011
Oh teenagers, Inbetweeners isn't *meant* to be for you...
Nick Page on the arrogance of youth...
01/02/2011 … I love the arrogance of teenagers – like Alex Green writing on these pages yesterday – who assume shows like The Inbetweeners are aimed at them just because…