New, female and over 40 - why the comedy world finds that combination confusing
06/11/2025 … I started comedy in my mid-40s.
Latest 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.
Thu 06 November 2025
Mon 29 September 2025
How stand-up helped me find my place as a trans woman
But Chloe Reynolds says that polarising debate is making working the circuit tougher
29/09/2025 … With everything going on in politics around transgender issues, the last thing I want to do is add to the endless online shouting match.
Tue 16 September 2025
© Gabrielle Boudville How not to be an MC
Top circuit compere Ollie Horn on ten common mistakes beginners make
16/09/2025 … A quality MC can elevate even the ropiest of open mic nights into a quality night out.
Mon 15 September 2025
What working with survivors of modern slavery taught me about stand-up
15/09/2025 … I am a stand-up but just after the pandemic, like most people in the arts, I needed a day job.
Tue 09 September 2025
20 things I've learned from 20 years of stand-up
09/09/2025 … Twenty years ago, I had no idea the journey I was about to embark on would not only change my life but also shape my personality and identity.
Mon 08 September 2025
© Donald Cooper / Alamy Comedians, 50 years on
Gerard Clough compares Trevor Griffiths’ imagined evening class with today’s stand-up courses
08/09/2025 … I didn’t see the original 1975 production of Trevor Griffiths’ Comedians at Nottingham Playhouse but did catch it on TV a little later in a Play For…
Sat 30 August 2025
Winning the Edinburgh Comedy Awards' 'panel prize'
by Isabelle Adam of Comedy Club 4 Kids
30/08/2025 … Last Saturday, it was announced that Comedy Club 4 Kids had won the Victoria Wood prize at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Mon 18 August 2025
Why are we so obsessed with funniest joke of the Fringe lists?
By Laura Lexx and Oliver Double
18/08/2025 … Every year the Edinburgh Fringe runs, with hundreds of venues hosting thousands of performers spewing hundreds of thousands of jokes.