My night at a Roy Chubby Brown gig
28/10/2026 … From the rafters of Lancaster’s Grand Theatre, Roy Chubby Brown is a difficult man to measure.
2026 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 28 October 2026
Thu 15 October 2026
Why great comedy podcasts are getting harder to find
Different platforms are showing you different charts, explains Zaq Qureshi
15/10/2026 … Ask anyone to name Britain’s biggest comedy podcasts and you’ll get the same handful of answers.
Thu 01 October 2026
'I'm not drunk, I have cerebral palsy'
Comedian Benny Shakes speaks out about disability discrimination, even at the Edinburgh Fringe
01/10/2026 … I’ve spent more than 40 years explaining that I’m not drunk.
Mon 28 September 2026
'If the joke is meaningless, why imprison the comedian?'
Andrew Pipe on when comedy meets tyranny
28/09/2026 … Modern political theatre makes for a dark satirical script in today's fevered, hair-trigger culture wars.
Wed 09 September 2026
Why satire still matters
09/09/2026 … In my experience, comedians are only ever capable of paying their colleagues backhanded compliments.
Tue 08 September 2026
Finding the light in dark comedy
Dr Zoe Stephenson on what research reveals about people who enjoy bleak humour
08/09/2026 … Finding dark comedy funny does not necessarily mean there is something dark about you.
Thu 03 September 2026
I had psychosis... comedy helped me recover
03/09/2026 … The Covid lockdown was all my fault, or so I thought.
Mon 24 August 2026
How I used a podcast to write my Edinburgh show
'My earliest and most revolting ideas revealed themselves' says comic Paul Hilleard
24/08/2026 … How do you write a stand-up comedy show? How important is it to nail your debut hour? Nobody really tells you.