Dave Cohen's session aimed at newer comedians

Comedy writer Dave Cohen is offering a free advice session on how to write better jokes.

The comic – who wrote the songs for Horrible Histories – says: ‘I’ll be offering hints and tips about how to become a better writer. How to write more, and how to make what you write land with an audience.’

Next Thursday’s session is especially aimed at less established comedians hoping to enter this year’s  BBC New Comedy Award, which closes for entries on July 5.

Calling joke-writing a ‘frequently overlooked skill’, he warns: ‘Your cheeky charm or quick-witted audience repartee will take you a long way but material will take you further. The best writers aren’t necessarily the best comedians. But the best comedians are very good at writing.’

Cohen, author of The Complete Comedy Writer, says every comedian tends to be either a joker, observer or storyteller, saying: ‘You may be more, or have established skills in different areas, but at the moment you almost certainly have one strength that's way more developed than the others. I’ll be looking at how to use all three of these types to play to your strengths.’

Sign up to the session at https://www.patreon.com/c/SitcomGeeksandComedyWritingFreaks

Published: 3 Jun 2026