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.
James Harris says you can't speak truth to power and expect to earn a living
30/09/2021 … In the opening scene of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev (1966), a skomorokh or medieval Slavic harlequin, entertains a crowd of villagers sheltering…
23/09/2021 … The US adult animated satire, The Prince, has sparked outrage for its portrayal of the British royal family as a mob of hyper-privileged halfwits, hopelessly out…
19/09/2021 … He had the most beautiful eyes.
Benamin Bello, aka President Obonjo, has a close shave on stage
06/09/2021 … It would never have happened to a real dictator… At my gig on Friday, a member of the audience came on stage to attack me while in character as President…
Chortle editor Steve Bennett's notes on this year's Edinburgh Fringe
16/08/2021 … It’s been a week since Nicola Sturgeon reluctantly, it seemed, relaxed social distancing rules indoors and allowed Edinburgh Fringe venues to operate at full…
Comedy poet Robert Garnham reminisces about his previous festival accommodation
09/08/2021 … Someone the other day called me an Edinburgh Fringe veteran, and that was very nice of them, unless they meant that I'm old.
It's an impossible call, writes Steve Bennett
19/07/2021 … The Soho Theatre faced an almost impossible dilemma in deciding whether to book comedian Chris McGlade for a second run.
Sebastian Bloomfield tries to sell a Non-Fungible Token of his material
18/06/2021 … Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs, have dominated the news headlines recently due to both their somewhat inexplicable worth coupled with their apparent intangibility…
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