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.
Nicko Vaughan praises Phil Nichol and Tony Law's Virtue Chamber Echo Bravo
08/09/2020 … I was thrust into the comedy world at the age of 20 when I was part of the first BBC Open Mic competition, back when the final was broadcast on BBC One.
Rosalie Minnitt and Alison Middleton suggest ways to level the comedy circuit playing field
07/09/2020 … It is a truth universally acknowledged that men get more laughs than women.
© Hat Trick/BBC Academic Sebastian Bloomfield argues that dissent is always at the heart of comedy
03/09/2020 … The BBC’s incoming director-general, Tim Davie, is reported to be considering how to balance the broadcaster’s comedy output to showcase both sides of…
© Ardfern/CC BY-SA 3.0 'Use it or lose it' as best you can, writes Steve Bennett
24/08/2020 … This weekend’s news that The Stand comedy clubs are teetering on the brink of collapse has brought home just how urgent and vital the various campaigns to…
© Pierre Rosa / Pixabay Sebastian Bloomfield on stand-up comedy and the quest for cultural credibility
04/08/2020 … Arts Council England has recently taken the unprecedented step of including comedy as a form of theatre under the terms of the Culture Recovery Fund, part of the…
Bethany Dawson and Tobias Soar call for a greater range of disabled characters in TV comedy
09/07/2020 … In British television comedy, disabled people are often the butt of cheap jokes: from the severely sight impaired Mr Magoo to the use of mental health problems for…
...it did for me, writes Connor Wallace
07/07/2020 … In 2016, I thought I was finished with comedy.
Let's go beyond social media chatter and nail all the creeps, whoever they are, argues Chelsea Hart
30/06/2020 … Over the past few days, it seems as if a new reckoning has swept through the comedy circuit.
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