Why satire still matters
09/09/2026 … In my experience, comedians are only ever capable of paying their colleagues backhanded compliments.
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.
Wed 09 September 2026
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.
Sun 23 August 2026
How repressed is your 'cunt'ry?
Sophie Power on what she learned about doing a show called CVNT
23/08/2026 … Naming my debut show CVNT after one of the most taboo words in the English language was definitely a choice.
Wed 19 August 2026
Left-wing comedians need to get louder and angrier
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin says progressives should stop playing the nice guy
19/08/2026 … Anger can be funny.
Tue 18 August 2026
What I've learned from performing comedy in a second language
18/08/2026 … What it’s like doing comedy in another language? I like it a lot.
I gave up my dream job at Google to be a stand-up
18/08/2026 … In 2025, I quit my senior software engineering job at Google to pursue comedy full-time.