The Zoom tomb
Ben Heal will not be mourning the end of online comedy gigs
24/05/2021 … As venues reopen, maybe now we’ll finally be rid of the troublesome Zoom version of stand-up, the worst substitute since 1985’s New Coke.
2021 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.
Mon 24 May 2021
Wed 12 May 2021
Neil Innes: The Fab Fool
12/05/2021 … Writing comedy history non-fiction to get rich is like cosplaying as a slug to get laid, but there are many good reasons for devoting your life to the pursuit: celebrating…
Tue 06 April 2021
© C4 Why we made Frank Of Ireland - even though it was male-dominated
Executive producer Clelia Mountford on Channel 4's new comedy
06/04/2021 … Next week Channel 4 launches Frank Of Ireland, a new comedy about ‘a misanthropic, narcissistic, fantasist in arrested development who thinks the world owes…
Tue 16 March 2021
© Andy Hollingworth Status symbolism
Adam Bloom on how the Americans love a winner, and Brits love a loser
16/03/2021 … A few years ago I was backstage at the Comedy Store in London.
Tue 23 February 2021
How being a bit disabled informs my comedy
23/02/2021 … I’ve been a comedian for nearly four years now but I’ve been making jokes about myself and my condition my whole life.
Wed 10 February 2021
© Peggy_Marco/Pixabay Humour in poetry should be taken seriously
Says creative writing lecturer Christina Thatcher
10/02/2021 … As a child, I remember laughing out loud while reading Shel Silverstein’s poetry book A Light in the Attic (1981).
Mon 08 February 2021
© BBC How Andy Zaltzman has revitalised the News Quiz
The comic has brought a quirky sense of verve and fun, says Steve Bennett
08/02/2021 … Radio 4’s comedy output is, by necessity, pretty conservative – especially in the prestigious 6.
Tue 02 February 2021
© Yuri_B/Pixabay We need more gallows humour to cope with the grim reality of Covid
Ben Heal makes a case for jokes in dubious taste
02/02/2021 … '75,000 died in the UK,' Frankie Boyle said on his TV review of 2020.