Why I love Pear Shaped
David Jesudason on a London open-mic institution
03/12/2013 … The Fitzroy Tavern on Charlotte Street is always busy with international students drinking Alpine Lager.
2013 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.
Tue 03 December 2013
Mon 02 December 2013
'You never have a bad gig when you’re having fun.'
Andy Field's tips on how to succeed in comedy without any actual success
02/12/2013 … Having a great time while achieving little to no discernible success is an art.
Thu 28 November 2013
Why politics needs a bunch of comedians...
Al Cowie says comics have a relevance that MPs don't
28/11/2013 … The comedian, the funny man, the clown, the fool.
Wed 27 November 2013
How not to pull out of a gig
David Ward has some advice for comics
27/11/2013 … Text the promoter on the day.
Mon 25 November 2013
How to change the world with comedy
Michael Connell takes on the 'issues'
25/11/2013 … You become what you hate.
Thu 21 November 2013
It's not easy being out on stage...
Paul F Cockburn on the issues gay comedians face
21/11/2013 … ‘Homosexuality still remains to some extent a taboo and therefore a basis–if not a target–for comedy,’ wrote Tom Crawshaw on these pages last month.
Tue 19 November 2013
My Catskills gene failed me...
Robin Ince on walking off stage prematurely
19/11/2013 … I have just experienced one of the rarer events in my career, I cut a gig short, very short.
Mon 18 November 2013
Memories of the Tunnel Club
18/11/2013 … I thought I was pretty resistant to nostalgia but l then I looked at this set of pictures from The Tunnel Club in the mid-eighties and discovered I was wrong.