course
stand up comedy course
Have some fun learning how to write and perform stand-up comedy!
Includes a show at the end of the course (on the real-life version of the course) where you get to perform stand-up live on stage!
This course is designed for people of all backgrounds. Complete beginners are welcome. No previous experience in stand-up, writing or comedy are needed to do this course.
Our stand up comedy course is about giving you the skills to produce great work over the long-term. You’ll be equipped with the techniques and philosophies required to be more creative and fully express yourself!
We aim to help you express what is uniquely funny about you. We will instill in you a passion for comedy and the confidence to perform your own material.
We provide a playful and supportive environment for our students to perform a short set every week.
This is a practical and collaborative course where you learn by doing comedy exercises every week and finding out what is uniquely funny about you.
Our coaches are working professional performers. They have been there and done it, so they know all about the journey from beginner to professional. They have unique insight into what it takes, and what has helped them make the jump.
You will learn how to write hilarious material, and how to perform it with charisma and skill. By the end of the course, you’ll have an awesome 5 minute stand up set ready to go!
Plus you get to perform at our club in a fun end of course show!
next available dates
West End:
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 4th June 2025 with Nick Hall, plus show on Saturday 26th July 2025. BOOK
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm each week.
Price: £255. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £155 once the course starts.
Venue: The Umbrella Rooms, 239-241 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8EH.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road.
London King’s Cross/Euston:
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 1st October 2025 with Tom Crowley, plus show on Thursday 27th November 2025. BOOK
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 23rd April 2025 with Tom Crowley, plus show on Wednesday 18th June 2025. SOLD OUT
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm each week.
Price: £255. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £155 once the course starts.
Venue: Cromer Studios, 98 Cromer Street, King’s Cross, London, WC1H 8JU.
Tube: King’s Cross / St. Pancras / Euston / Russell Square / Warren Street.
London Bridge:
Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 7th October 2025 with Nick Hall, plus show on Tuesday 2nd December 2025. BOOK
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm each week.
Price: £255. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £155 once the course starts.
Venue: St George, Borough High Street opposite Borough Tube, London, SE1 1JA.
Tube: London Bridge or Borough.
London Bank:
Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 8th April 2025 with Nick Hall, plus show on Tuesday 3rd June 2025. SOLD OUT
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 29th January 2025 with Nick Hall, plus show on Tuesday 1st April 2025. SOLD OUT
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm each week.
Price: £255. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £155 once the course starts.
Venue: Theatre Delicatessen Studios, 107 Leadenhall Street, EC3A 4AF.
Tube: Bank.
nick hall
Nick Hall is a stand-up, improviser and writer. He has written and performed for BBC2, BBC3, and BBC Radio 4.
Nick has taken six solo shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as performing at the Brighton Fringe, Latitude Festival, Soho Theatre, Princes Trust, and Bloomsbury Theatre.
Nick started his comedy career by beating the Gong at The Comedy Store, beating the Blackout at Up the Creek, and winning the New Act Night at the Comedy Café. He has now performed over 500 gigs across the UK and Europe.
Nick comperes a variety of live events, including cult movie night Hot Tub Cinema and hit football show Comedy Commentary. He also performs with The Committee, one of London’s hottest improvised comedy groups, and has appeared on Sky News, The Times Red Box podcast and written articles for The Independent.
“Crackingly original” ★★★★ The List
“Side splittingly funny” ★★★★★ ThreeWeeks
“Mad cap energy” ★★★★★ British Comedy Guide
“One not to miss” ★★★★ The Skinny
“Genuinely hilarious” ★★★★ Fringe Review
tom crowley
Tom Crowley is a writer, actor and comedian, best known for writing the stage adaptation of Rocky Horror sequel Shock Treatment and performing in TV drama The Royals.
He writes and performs (as Eric Chapman) in the Prix Europa-nominated podcast sitcom Wooden Overcoats. He also appears regularly in podcasts Victoriocity and The Beef & Dairy Network Podcast. His episode of BBC Sounds’s anthology drama podcast Murmurs was selected to launch the series in January 2020.
He has also performed in audio productions for BBC Radio 4, Audible, Fremantle Media and Somethin’ Else.
He has written for Cartoon Network Studios Europe, BBC Radio 4Extra, BBC Radio Wales, Wooden Overcoats, Six to Start and Bafflegab Productions. Tom worked as a series writer on the second season of BAFTA-winning animated series The Amazing World of Gumball for Cartoon Network Studios Europe
As part of comedy group Sad Faces, he co-created the sketch show Four Sad Faces for BBC Radio 4Extra in 2008, produced by Victoria Lloyd. His writing has also been heard in BBC Radio Comedy’s The Now Show, The News Quiz and The Show What You Wrote.
In 2019 his stand-up hour, Tom Crowley’s Mass, performed at multiple venues and festivals nationwide. His solo sketch and character comedy podcast Crowley Time is available on all podcast apps. His modernised adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations was published by Methuen in 2017.
“Crowley’s comic writing is a superb match for the show’s lunatic satire” Time Out (on Shock Treatment)
“Funny, gripping theatre” The Stage (on Great Expectations)
“The star of the show here is adaptor Tom Crowley” WhatsOnStage (on Shock Treatment)
“The podcast equivalent of impossible to put down” Vox (on Wooden Overcoats)
topics
- Introduction to stand-up comedy
- Creative techniques to generate material
- Pulling comedy from truth
- Exploring your point of view
- Getting to the heart of the funny
- The art of storytelling
- Making fresh observations
- Discovering your comic persona
- Joke writing techniques
- Polishing up your routine
- Writing collaboratively
- Creating a comedy peer group of like-minded friends
- Performing with confidence and charisma
- Final show preparation
- Careers advice
- Tips and next steps for future progression
faqs
Who is this suitable for?
Anyone interested in writing and performing stand up comedy.
What previous experience do I need before doing this course?
None. You don't need any previous writing or comedy experience before starting this course.
What comes after this course?
We also have a variety of sketch comedy and improv courses that go well with this course.
What’s the class size?
Average of 12-14 per workshop, maximum of 16 people.
Do I have to do the show at the end?
No. The show is optional and you'll still get loads from the course even if you don't want to do the show.
What if I can't make it every week?
Missing one week will still be ok but please don't book the course if you are likely to miss more than one week.
What happens if I'm late?
We’ll be starting each session at 7pm. We’re trying to form a team, so please don’t book this course if you are likely to be late on a regular basis.