Comedy now values confessions as much as punchlines
...and that's great, says Sam Morrison
08/08/2019 … Last year, Netflix released The Comedy Lineup featuring 12 of the most interesting and unique up-and-comers doing 15 minutes.
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 08 August 2019
Wed 07 August 2019
The Fringe isn't what it used to be? So what!
Filippo Spreafico says there are still plenty of ways to work in the periphery
07/08/2019 … Each year I arrive at a Fringe Festival, be it in Europe or Australia, I hear the tired leitmotifs: ‘This year’s Fringe is getting more and more mainstream’,…
Tue 06 August 2019
Too much?
06/08/2019 … When I turned 28, I had never had an orgasm.
Sun 04 August 2019
Why can't TV capture the spirit of the Fringe?
04/08/2019 … In 1997, the band I was the frontman for, Dawn Of The Replicants, appeared on the BBC Two TV show Edinburgh Nights with Mark Lamarr, We closed the show with our…
Sat 03 August 2019
Am I still mentally ill or do I not understand what it is to be healed?
Eric Lampaert on whether the Fringe will help him with his problems
03/08/2019 … Like many performers, I subconsciously stepped onto the stage seeking a love that could potentially replace the kind I lacked in previous years.
Fri 02 August 2019
Why I'm turning my phone off this Fringe
But Luke Rollason is asking his audience to keep theirs on
02/08/2019 … Being at the Fringe can feel like walking around a giant, three dimensional version of the internet.
Thu 01 August 2019
Does magic need comedy?
James Phelan – Paul Daniels's nephew – on moving with the times
01/08/2019 … For as long as I can remember I’ve been surrounded by magic.
Sat 27 July 2019
Is it OK to mine my mum's life for comedy?
Steve Bugeja on revisiting childhood memories for his new Edinburgh show
27/07/2019 … Last year for Christmas, I gave my mum the news that my new Edinburgh show was going to be all about her dating when I was growing up.