Can AI have a role in writing comedy?
By comedian and lecturer Tom Short
26/03/2026 … There’s a strange new presence in the comedy writing process.
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.
Thu 26 March 2026
Mon 23 March 2026
© Flickr/Pexels What makes older people laugh?
Psychologist Heather Heap on the importance of humour, but why some find it difficult
23/03/2026 … For many older people, humour can be a lifeline.
Thu 19 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK faces an uphill battle
William Garbett on how cultural differences could be an issue
19/03/2026 … A tall, well-built man saunters past a band and onto the stage.
© Sipa US/Alamy How to fix the Oscars monologue
Ray Nielsen on Conan O'Brien and the myth of the finished joke
19/03/2026 … There’s a peculiar kind of sympathy that only exists among comedians, and it tends to surface at the strangest moments.
Tue 17 March 2026
'This was a significant moment for comedy'
Geoff Rowe on an industry roundtable with the creative industries Minister
17/03/2026 … This time last week, a bunch of people who work in comedy gathered at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in Westminster to meet with the Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts,…
Fri 13 March 2026
Is comedy outside the London bubble ignored?
Mark Muldoon responds to Christopher Macarthur-Boyd's comments
13/03/2026 … In an interview for this website yesterday, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd told me: ‘I just think the Edinburgh Comedy Awards are a kind of morally bankrupt enterprise…
Mon 09 March 2026
The night AI stole my show
Comedian Benjamin Bello - aka President Obonjo - on a worrying development
09/03/2026 … It was such a wonderful experience performing at Utrecht International Comedy Festival over the weekend – a festival I would highly recommend.
Wed 11 February 2026
Ableism is alive and well in comedy
Comedian Alex Mitchell on his experience of abuse, judgment and stigma
11/02/2026 … Alex Mitchell tells his experience of abuse, judgment, treatment and stigma as a professional comedian who just happens to be disabled.