“Coming Through” was lovely. I had so much fun hanging out with Ifrah Qureshi, Kate Hammer, Beth Knight and Rachel-Anne of Pure Leo. Such talented and funny people. They’ve helped me learn a lot.

This Fringe is a steep learning curve for me. It’s my first year doing stand-up and I’m making up for a lot of lost stage time as myself.

It’s been really nice not worrying about reviewers or having big bills to pay at the end of the month. I wish every Fringe could be this chill. Maybe it could be? I think that’s a substack for another time.

Vote for the poster awards!

Poltergeist starts today! At the moment it feels like schrodinger’s stand-up show. With it being PWYW and with me trying to reach new audiences and having been actively telling some previous ones not to come (sorry family) it could go either way… I might be performing to just 4 people every day as my sales report suggests or I might have queues down the underpass. The reality will probably/hopefully be somewhere in between. But who knows?

Please come along if you can. I’m trying to build a new show but I need an audience in order to do that. It will be very different to previous shows but it’s still me. At the moment it’s not “about” anything in particular but full of very silly bits and pieces. What it becomes will be in many ways up to you!

I am particularly keen for other comedians to come.

I could go on about all the shows I’ve seen and gigs I’ve done but honestly I don’t have time. So here are a few highlights of things coming up:

TODAY - WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST

POLTERGEIST (WIP) - 17:55 - On every day until the 31st except for the 24th. (I will be attending my grandma’s funeral. Thank you everyone who has reached out about this. I do not have the capacity to reflect on this right now publicly.)

A VERY IMPORTANT PANEL SHOW - 19:40 - A fundraiser for Breast Cancer Now and Kathleen Hughes who had to cancel her Fringe show to undergo treatment. Starring Kate Hammer, Felicity Ward and David Correos.

ACMS - 23:55 - My favourite gig of the year is always doing ACMS at the Fringe, Monkey Barrel.

ALSO COMING UP THIS WEEK

CARDBOARD ROBOT WARS - 00:30 - (technically 21st but the evening of the 20th) Bedlam Lates - Weirdos bring you chaos on an epic cardboard scale

SYTYF SEMI-FINALS - 21st (21:45) - In a strange twist, I was asked last night if I could do this following a dropout.

More upcoming gigs listed here.

Also please check out the collabs I’ve been doing with Krema Bakehouse, Maria’s Kitchen and Ghillie Dhu on Instagram. More on that story here.

SEE YOU IN THE YURT!

POLTERGEIST TICKETS

I know over the years I’ve written a lot (a lot, a lot) on Substack about how the Edinburgh Fringe is going to the dogs.

But I’m coming back and I’m really very excited about it.

This Fringe is looking very different for me compared to previous years:

• First time back since 2023

• First stand-up show

• First WIP at the Fringe

• First split bill show at the Fringe

• First short run since 2017

• First time in the Yurt/Hoots

• First PWYC show since 2019

• First time going with almost 20 extra gigs pre-booked

• First time not inviting reviewers

And it feels great.

So here’s what I’m up to and where to find me…

COMING THROUGH - 5th-16th Aug, Gilded Balloon (14:20)

This is one of these gifts of a gig that rarely come along: Rachel-Anne of Pure Leo asking if I’d like to do a split bill with Kate Hammer, Ifrah Qureshi and Beth Knight at the Gilded Saloon, fully produced and promoted. What a dream!

We’ll be taking turns to MC and otherwise I’ll be doing 20mins of stand-up. It can feel a bit odd being on your own all the time in comedy so it will be really nice to team up with a gang of Scottish/Scotland-based gals. If you want to support up-and-coming, local Edinburgh talent then definitely get yourself along to this. You’ll also get a taster of everyone’s new solo hours, which I highly recommend.

GET TICKETS NOW

CHARLIE VERO-MARTIN: POLTERGEIST (WIP)

19th-31st Aug, The Yurt, 17:55

This is very new for me, to be on stage with nothing: no props, no tech, no puppets, no characters, just me. It’s scary. It’s exposing. It’s been oddly liberating and very, very fun.

I still love character and sketch but I don’t think I’ve felt this thrill since I first went solo in 2016. It reminds me a lot of how I felt when I’d do improv with someone new and feel that real spark. You’d think having done improv - going on stage with absolutely nothing - or having written/performed four solo shows already that this wouldn’t feel so odd for me. But it does. It really does.

I recommend checking out Madeleine Brettingham’s substack about the difference between writing/performing as yourself vs for others. (Also you should check out her Fringe show because I predict she’s gonna have a bloody big year!)

For starters, I’m used to in my solo shows changing characters every 5 minutes. This time I’m myself for a whole hour (ok 50min for this run but you get what I mean). You can say a lot as a character but can ultimately hide behind them and then them leave on stage. When you’re being yourself, talking about your actual life and the people in it, there’s another level of responsibility and sensitivity. Perhaps that’s why I still haven’t talked much about my personal life on stage.

This is particularly true for me in Edinburgh because for all I appreciate old friends and family coming out to support me, it’s a version of me I’m not sure they’re ready to see.

Even with all the material I’ve been doing so far for this show at Leicester Comedy Festival (still haven’t paid me) and Rik Mayall Festival and various other gigs, I’m aware that I’m still only scratching the surface of what I want to talk about.

When I started writing this show I was thinking that it was about wanting to be seen. About how a lot of women my age are sick of being made to feel invisible and going unheard.

So what do I want people to see and what do I want to say? And can I make it funny.

I guess we’ll find out. I’m forcing myself to try/write new material every day of the Fringe. It will be messy and you’ll be seeing all the strings but I think that’s all part of the fun. Perhaps if you’ve been feeling frustrated in a similar way you’ll enjoy coming along and helping me work it out.

My hope is this show will eventually feel rebellious, fun and cathartic. I feel like that’s what I’ve been trying to achieve through a lot of my work but I’m now I’m going at it from a new direction.

The show is PWYW and my main aim is to get people who are really up for seeing me do a work-in-progress stand-up show. If you love comedy and seeing how the sausage gets made then please come along… it will help my blood pressure if you can get a ticket beforehand! There are lots of price points to choose from…

GET TICKETS NOW

OTHER SHOWS I POP UP IN…

Emma Davis: You Are All Resources - 7th-18th (16:50)

I’ve been doing some consultant directing on this the past year and you might recognise me in a few voiceovers…

Alexander Bennett: All It Takes - 8th-30th (14:40)

Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll see me as a very sweaty zombie lady in one of the music videos.

Gobby Girls: The After Party - 28th-29th (23:30)

I don’t appear but some sketches I’ve written do.

EXTRA GIGS I’M DOING

5th (21:10) Mark Silcox: I have it all

8th (11:45) - 101 Rules for a better world

9th (16:30) - 2 Truths, 1 Lie

12th (23:45) - Queer Diary

13th (00:00) - Late with Kate Smurthwaite

14th (17:30) - Tartan Table

16th (00:30) - Conclave, Bedlam Lates

16th (13:30) - How to Fringe: Thom Tuck Chat Show

18th (18:30) - Chortle Fast Fringe

18th (20:15) - Bitches in Stitches: New Grrl Order

19th (19:30) - Get Your Goat Panel Fundraiser

19th (23:55) - ACMS

21st (00:30) - Weirdos Comedy: Robot Wars (Bedlam Late)

22nd (23:00) - Late night with Sam Walls

23rd (14:20) - What’s Happening Now

27th (12:00) - What’s in the Box?

28th (14:05) - Mother Superior

29th (00:30) - Nativity (Bedlam Late)

29th (14:40) - All the animals ranked

29th (23:55) - Step Dads: LOTR

…And more being confirmed!

See you on the other side…

Such a character (comedian)

What’s New

Alumni Showcase

Building Character

I first launched my Character Comedy Course in July 2024. Back then I think it was the only course specifically for creating a character comedy act. This was off the back of several years of me being a character comedian and despite four much-loved solo shows, being told by commissioners that “sketch comedy is dead.”

After performing Picnic for the last time at Soho Theatre in February 2024, I decided to take a break from performing and perhaps focus on writing a show that was either more theatre based or stand-up. However, I didn’t want to give up character comedy altogether because I love it.

And I know a lot about it. I started doing solo character comedy work in 2016.

Character Comedy wasn’t even a genre at the Edinburgh Fringe back then and I don’t think it would be til around 2022. But that didn’t stop me discovering the work of character comedians I loved: Marney Godden, Briony Redman, Susan Harrison, Alison Thea-Skot, Gabby Best, Cariad Lloyd and many more… (Lots of women, eh? Almost like there is something intrinsically feminist and punk about it’s origins but that’s maybe for a different blog.)

Throughout the process of creating four solo character comedy shows, multiple improv shows, improvised puppet shows, storytelling shows, I’ve created countless characters. Even in my new stand-up show, characters are still very much present. I’m just not wearing a funny hat.

Much like Improv Comedy, just because I am not regularly performing it right now doesn’t mean I am not marinating in 18 years of experience and absorbing all the new manifestations. Gooey.

Creating and teaching this character comedy course has been one the most enjoyable and fulfilling things I’ve ever done. I’ve taught it four times now and every time I’m overjoyed by how unique and creative every single act is.

And from all backgrounds too. Some people come who are seasoned character acts looking for new material and approaches, others have never performed or written at all. Many are actors who haven’t written for themselves or tried comedy, lots are stand-ups who haven’t conceived being anything other than themselves standing still with a mic. It doesn’t matter.

In the latest iteration, one student before the first class came up to me and said she was very nervous and had never done any comedy and was it ok that she was even there… I assured her that she’d be guided through everything and it would by fun and fine. Flash forward six weeks and she’s performing one of the most hilarious, unhinged character personas I’ve seen.

I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to achieve independently with this course but I am also excited to be collaborating with the Museum of Comedy. Through Sketch Off 2023, Weirdos Comedy shows and Monday Clubs, I’ve grown to really love this venue and the support it gives up-coming artists.

As the home of the UK’s biggest sketch and character comedy competition as well as hosting a plethora of deep-cut alt comedy shows and having a direct line to Leicester Square Theatre, it feels like the perfect place for this course.

WHAT’S CHANGING AND WHAT TO EXPECT

Previously the course has only been six weeks long and not included a public showcase. Instead, I’ve invited special industry guests to come to the final class “in-house” showing. The reasoning behind these decisions have been partly financial but also to experiment with giving students space to take risks while still having deadlines.

However, as of September it will be eight weeks long and include a public showing for friends and family in the main theatre - where Sketch Off takes place!

Students will still be encouraged to take risks and experiment and have the opportunity to learn from special industry guests. Previous guests include Mark Silcox, Adam Larter, Marney Godden, Su Mi, Kat Cade, Mikey Bligh Smith, Helen Duff and more.

Having taught courses for other institutions before where there’s a final “showcase”, I know how much students can get in their heads about it. The purpose of this course has always been and will continue to be a supportive space for people gain practical skills and feedback as well as understanding that building an act is about enjoying the work-in-progress not creating something perfect immediately.

Classes will also be up to three hours long and capped at a maximum of 12 places to guarantee feedback time. Students will also learn more about the workings of the Museum of Comedy and gain access to the growing Charlie’s Character Comedy Alumni Directory, which provides gig resources and networking opportunities.

You don’t need to have any experience in character comedy or even have an idea for a character. The first half of the course is all about exploring techniques and ways to discover character. If you have a character act already, you can work on it in the final weeks but most students develop something brand new.

Spaces are already selling fast so book yours now!

Mondays, 7-10pm (we probably won’t finish that late every week)

29th Sep - 16th Nov (showcase 17th Nov)

BOOK NOW

ALUMNI SHOWCASE - FRIDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

And if you’re still not sure what to expect or if you just want to see some brilliant up-and-coming character comedy, check out the Alumni Showcase at the Museum of Comedy on Friday 18th September.

Meet Da Vinci, David Lynch, an unhinged heir to a Dairy Empire, Pollen and many more weirdos! I’m so happy to see some many students from the course making the most out of their characters from this course. Some have gone on to include them as part of award-winning theatre shows, others have created an online following and many are performing regularly on the circuit, at comedy festivals and in competitions.

That said, this course isn’t just about becoming a professional character comedian. Others have used this as a creative opportunity to stretch themselves as writers or performers and have found it an enlightening part of their artistic practice.

“Charlie delivered a masterclass on character comedy, providing a helpful range of tools and bespoke advice that helped each person on the course shine in their own way. Would recommend for anyone starting their character comedy journey”

- Nadine Bailey, course alumni

So come see for yourself! Whether you’re joining the course or not, come enjoy a hilarious night of chaotic character comedy.

BUY TICKETS NOW

Of course please also get your tickets for my upcoming Edinburgh Fringe shows…

Coming Through - Gilded Balloon, Gilded Saloon, 5th-16th Aug, 14:20

Charlie Vero-Martin: Poltergeist (WIP) - Hoots, The Yurt, 19th-31st Aug, 17:55

Teaching the first ever Improv Comedy Intensive at Soho Theatre on 18th July!

SOHO THEATRE WALTHAMSTOW - INTRO TO IMPROV INTENSIVE

It seem wild to me that Soho Theatre has never run an improv lab.

They’ve offered sketch, drag, stand-up, character, clown, playwriting, solo theatre making, Edinburgh Fringe labs but never improv. Well there’s no time like the present!

This one-day intensive (10am-5pm) is an introductory taster session designed for people new to improv comedy. Whether you’re an experienced performer keen to dip your toe into the improv pool or a complete beginner, this will be a fun, interactive session introducing you to the fundamentals of improv in a supportive setting.

Applications are now open and will close on the 10th July. There are only 16 spots to allow everyone space and time to get involved. Soho are particularly keen to hear from people already living in the Walthamstow area and there are bursaries available.

(I’m not part of the initial application process so please don’t come for me…)

Apply Now!

IMPROV 2026

I have some more teaching related news coming soon but in the meantime I just wanted to share and reflect on a bit more recent improv joy…

Improv Comedy has been a big part of my life for over 18 years and the thing I love most about it is the potential for expansion and evolution. There are so many different styles, formats, approaches and applications. Not everything works for everyone - that would be mad - but experiencing different perspectives and challenging yourself is just as important to drilling down and committing to a particular area.

There was a moment around this time last year where I was unsure if I would get to teach or perform improv again. I had stepped away from performing in general for several reasons but mainly because I was enjoying coaching and teaching so much.

Between a sudden yet drawn out redundancy and the cost of living crisis bruising my independent courses and workshops, the future felt foggy.

But then, we never know what’s going to happen in improv.

In fact, one of the best things I’ve learned from almost two decades of improv is how to approach life like an improviser.

This is also the basis of my Improv for Business and Personal Development company, Jollity Coaching. In the past year I’ve been invited to present keynote speeches on the power of improv at various conferences including recently as MRS’s Voices4All on E.D.I in Research, BBC Audiences in Salford and the MRG’s International Conference in Utrecht.

As a result, I’ve been working with more and more teams from different sectors on using improv to enhance confidence, communication and creativity. It’s been challenging and rewarding but ultimately taught me how much improv is a part of my values and way of viewing the world.

I genuinely believe it can help people reconnect with themselves and be a force for good in a society that limits you by algorithms and pushes you to question your intuition.

And of course that’s not just in the business world. Improv - and specifically improv comedy - still has the capacity to be a beautiful, vibrant and inclusive art form providing we keep allowing it to grow.

I recently taught and experienced improv in a very exciting new environment for me. At the end of last year I joined Shapes in Motion, a troupe of movers and makers from dancers and choreographers to motion capture and physical theatre professionals. It’s been a great gear shift for me to be experimenting and collaborating on theatrical work that isn’t focussed on comedy. And yet the themes and directions of their workshops feel very connected to my improv practice and teaching.

Last month I took part in one of their troupe-only sessions at Sadler’s Wells on the theme of “Proximity” and had an opportunity to lead a segment using improv and clowning. Being able to work with performers who are so committed to exploring movement and perspective was a really wonderful experience. Everyone was so open and had such fresh takes on the exercises. Forcing myself to really narrow in on one, rather abstract, element was also quite a unique experience for me as a teacher and performer.

As someone who grew up in love with ballet, it was also huge inspiration to even be in a Sadler’s Wells’ studio!

I learned so much from the other practitioners who led sections on Proximity through space, movement and voice, which once again has melted organically into my own practice and way of teaching Improv and Character.

There is always so much to learn and I believe it’s vital for both personal practice and the growth of improv as a form that we keep experimenting. We can always come back to what we know works and where we feel comfortable but in a limitless format, why put up walls unnecessarily? Why stop ourselves from following intuition and new connection?

One day I hope to bring back my Improv Rules and How to Break Them course but for now I’m just thrilled to be collaborating with so many new people and institutions.

OTHER JUNE UPDATES

To be honest May and June flew by. The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival was an absolute delight and I’m suddenly very aware that the next time I perform my new solo show will be at the Edinburgh Fringe!

This has to be the most chilled out I’ve felt about the Fringe. I’m genuinely looking forward to being there for a whole month again and seeing what everyone is up to. Tickets are very much on sale…

See me as part of this mixed bill at the Gilded Saloon:

Coming Through, 14:20, 5th - 16th August

And of course my brand new work-in-progress of my first stand-up show at Hoots, Potterow:

Charlie Vero-Martin: Poltergeist (WIP), 17:55, 19th -31st August

More gig and Character course updates soon!

xxx

Next week I’ll be performing at the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in Droitwich Spa. Like many alternative comedians, I’m very excited to take part and celebrate the life and work of Rik Mayall:

His comedic genius, his anarchic spirit and most importantly… his abundant hotness.

I think it’s what he would have wanted too.

A few months ago I started to wax lyrical about the beauty of Rik Mayall on the most reputable of publications - instagram stories.

“I guess you might find him attractive because you’re attracted to people who make you laugh?” Yes, I do find him funny and that is attractive. But he’s also hot.

“He was extremely talented, which is very attractive.” He was and it is but he was also very hot.

“I suppose confidence and bravado goes a long way and he was definitely very charismatic.” Yes, but also hot.

As hot as my pants. Woof.

Ben Elton recalled seeing him for the first time as “this immensely handsome beautiful man”. Ruby Wax once said, “he was so beautiful that your eyes hurt”.

Ok, ok, but they were people who knew him and met him in real life. You saw him in The Young Ones, Bottom, Blackadder, Wood and Walters, Drop Dead Fred, Man Down and still think he’s hot?"

YES AND MY GOD I’m jealous they got to see him in the flesh with their own lucky, lucky eyeballs.

I’m pleased to say that some of my comedy associates have crawled out of the horny woodwork in my defence.

Hannah Whyte, who will also be performing at the festival as Roger Prick - a character I’m very proud to be called the daddy of - takes Rik Mayall fangirling to a whole other level…

Here is a collage/fanfic/tmi piece Hannah made in 2022.

Apparently her good friend Holly Orpen is an admirer of RM. Here is just a FRACTION of the fan art she sent me.

I haven’t actually watched much of Alan B’stard or the Dangerous Brothers and maybe that’s a good thing because I might be moved to make some fan art and I’m rubbish at drawing.

Nadine Bailey, long time improv friend and esteemed graduate of my Character Comedy Course - more on that soon - is also a fully paid member of the club. She offered this delightful piece from 2009 as her credentials:

Sadly Nadine will not be performing at RMCF but I highly recommend her alt-comedy night Twinkles Cabaret, co-hosted by yet another hilarious character comedian (who I’ve also been directing) Emma Rose Davies.

June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas also fight our corner in the Drop Dead Fred episode of “How Did This Get Made?” Admittedly the kiss at the end is probably unnecessary. NOT COMPLAINING THOUGH.

While a lot of his characters are disgusting and sex crazed, I think there’s something quite attractive about seeing a man nail playing bad feminists so early on and so often. It’s unfortunate that Mitch and Rick are still very relevant now - particularly in the arts and comedy world - but it’s nice to know Rik Mayall has been satirising them for decades. Now seems like a good time to link to possibly my favourite scene of I’m sure my favourite episode of The Young Ones.

I have to admit, partly the reason I love Rick in The Young Ones so much is he’s probably the one I’m most like: impatient, judgemental, pretentious… I wish I were Vyv but I’m really a Rick. Ooft, let’s move on from the shadow work.

But it is incredibly fun and liberating playing big, violent, unhinged characters and maybe that does say a lot about me and why I like Rik Mayall.

I’ve never played an overtly sexy character though. Horny/repressed yes.

Despite what many male reviewers assumed about Persephone and her giant nipples, she never actually talked or cared about sex. In fact, I think she’s repelled by it. She likes power and control and certainly has a massive ego. She is also the most evil character I’ve created. I hope Rik would have approved.

This year, I’m stepping away from characters and seeing if I’m enough as me. I think it’s taken me all these years of playing larger than life characters to gain the confidence to take up space as myself on stage.

The title of my first stand-up show, Poltergeist, is a nod to wild and anarchic spirits that go unseen. It’s about letting loose and having fun even if that means occasionally being “unlikeable”.

I’m wishing I’d called it Poltergoost for this festival! It still feels in keeping with Rik’s spirit. For years I was gutted that they had cut him as Peeves from the Harry Potter films but it’s now a massive relief to know he made money out of her rather than the other way around.

Rik Mayall has been a huge inspiration. Creating weird and wonderful shows and characters that are unapologetically silly and fun and not afraid to stick two fingers up to everyone.

The show is very much a work-in-progress and will be a bit rough and ready but I’m sure that’s how you like it.

If you’re in Droitwich Spa next Saturday, I would love it if you came along to support me so I can afford the train fare home. Red Richardson’s show at the same time is already sold out so you may as well come see me. x

GET TICKETS NOW

P.S. I started drafting this post a few months ago before various relatives, old friends and potentially even relatives of people mentioned in this post started subscribing… I hope this wasn’t too uncomfortable. xoxoxoxo

Unlike other professions, setting SMART goals isn’t very helpful in the comedy/arts industry. Doing X + Y doesn’t necessarily get you Z and nobody cares if you have evidence to prove how much you tried. So much of having a successful time at the Fringe comes down to luck. However, there are a couple of written exercises you can do to help with the following:

• maximising opportunities

• minimising regrets

• preventing burnout

• curbing comparison

• assessing the “success” of your Fringe

I do these exercises with everyone I consult/direct who is going to the Fringe and you can bet I’ll be doing them with myself too.

WORKING OUT WHAT YOU WANT FROM THE FRINGE

The following exercise was first shown to me by the lovely Dan Atfield many years ago and I was reminded of it again by my 2023 director Kat Cade and also Lee Griffiths at Soho Theatre.

The important thing with this exercises is you physically write it down and save it somewhere. In a notebook, on your phone, in your email. It can’t just exist in your head. It has to be something you can access easily throughout August.

The exercise usually starts with writing your goals for the Edinburgh Fringe but I like to separate this out into two parts:

A: What are your super objectives, i.e. what do you want from this show?

B: What are your Fringe objectives, i.e. what do you want from doing this festival?

For instance, your super objective might be to create a show exploring a theme you care deeply about and use it to educate more people. Therefore you might have goals of taking this show on tour or adapting it for TV, film or radio. In which case, that will affect your goals for the festival. Here’s an example:

“Al Frogsbottom: Beefcake” - Ed Fringe Goals 2026

A: Super Objectives

1. Create a solo show about my experience as a competitive bodybuilder

2. Use the show to educate more people about the dangers of steroids

The first goal here will affect the direction you take the show in as an artist. The second will inform your goals for the festival…

B: Goals for the Fringe

1. Connect with audiences I think could benefit from hearing my experience

2. Connect with industry people who can help me take the show to a bigger audience e.g. touring, TV, radio

Look at these goals and work out what you can do now to make this more likely to happen. This could involve drilling down to who your target audience is and reaching out to platforms (podcasts, charities, publications) that are already connected with them. Research the industry people you think would be most interested in working with you and invite them to the show.

It’s also useful to consider how you’ll measure the success of these goals. Al’s gauge of success for these might be:

1. Receive an average of 3 positive audience reviews per week on the Fringe website (so make sure you remind the audience at curtain to write them) and gain 100 more followers on social media

2. Have at least three new industry connections to have meetings with after the festival

The second part of the exercise involves you writing a list of things that would happen at your “Dream Fringe” and your “Nightmare Fringe”…

Al’s Dream Fringe:

• I win a Fringe First award

• I get 5 star reviews

• I sell out my run

Al’s Nightmare Fringe:

• Nobody comes and I have to cancel shows

• I get ill and have to cancel shows

• I get bad reviews or worse, no reviews

Here’s the kicker: things are likely to happen from both lists to some extent. Make your peace with that now.

But also, really look at these points and ask yourself what can you do now to maximise your chances of your dream fringe happening or minimise the chances of your nightmare fringe. The “NOW-ness” is key. Rather than just saying “I’ll improve my chances of getting good audiences by flyering a lot,” consider:

• Making up a schedule now of shows you could exit flyer

• Practising your pitch and thinking of flyering gimmicks (wearing a costume etc)

• Organising collaborations or spots on other gigs where you can flyer

The reason I suggest doing it now is because there will be so much happening in August that you want to mitigate the burnout and if it’s a very important point to you, you don’t want to be wishing you’d thought of something sooner.

This is why it is important to do the exercise now and write it down so you can refer back to it at the end. One of the hardest parts of the Fringe is comparison. You walk around and see huge posters covered in 5 star reviews from big publications and think, “why don’t I have any reviews?” But if getting reviews wasn’t one of your objectives then why beat yourself up about it?

It can even be relatively insignificant things like seeing your friends on instagram going out every night drinking and bumping into celebrities. You might think, “ugh I should have let loose more” but if you wrote that your biggest fear was getting ill you’ll remember why you didn’t.

Of course, you might have had getting reviews and not getting ill as a key objectives and do everything right, including paying people a lot of money to help you, and still not achieve any of those things… but that’s the Fringe. It sounds horrible but actually, knowing you did the best you could with the time and information you had can help lessen the pain and help you learn lessons for the future.

You can’t do everything at the Edinburgh Fringe and it’s very easy once you’re there to get pulled in different directions and succumb to comparison and peer pressure. Doing this exercise will not only help you be clear and honest with yourself, it will help you appreciate your successes rather that letting them be washed away by Fringe noise.

GETTING READY FOR PREVIEW SEASON

Being honest and strategic with your preview show goals will also prevent you from getting burnt out before you arrive and be in the most secure starting position you can be in what is a tumultuous month.

First off, remember this is your show. Ultimately it is you who will be performing it every day and putting your name to it. So be clear about what you need. Everyone is different. You might find doing this exercises I wrote about working out your working style useful, especially if you’re collaborating.

For instance, there are some who know they thrive better under pressure or are maybe doing a topical show so would rather not write it until they’re literally on the train. Others know that changing stuff last minute will be overwhelming and want the script locked in at least 2 months before they go. During wips/previews you might discover that having too much tech is stressing you out and the thought of setting up a projector every day is making you too anxious to enjoy the rest of the show.

Decide now what you need to do your best work and plan accordingly.

Ok, so now for the preview season exercise. Let’s stick with Al Frogsbottom’s “Beefcake” as an example.

Al Frogsbottom: Beefcake @ Brighton Fringe - 3rd May

Festival objectives - why are you doing this specific festival?

• Deadlines help me get my shit together (so I’m sticking to it and will not have a script on stage no matter what)

• I want to perform to a warm audience as I’m trying some new stuff (and I have a lot of friends and family in Brighton who I will give comps to make sure the room is full)

Performance objectives - what do you want to get out of this specific show?

• I want to try out a new structure to see if it works (so will make a clear plan and film the show. I will also text certain friends/family to find out if they were able to follow the structure clearly)

• I want to get practise working with my props/tech (so will make sure I pack them)

Al Frogsbottom: Beefcake @ Rik Mayall Fringe Droitwich Spa - 30th May

Festival objectives - why are you doing this specific festival?

• I want to check I can carry/travel with all my props/tech easily

• I want to get feedback from different audiences rather than just friends (so I’ll make sure I market it and film it to show specific people like my director for review)

Performance objectives - what do you want to get out of this specific show?

• If the new structure worked in Brighton this is my opportunity to cement it and if it didn’t this is a chance to try something different (make sure I film it)

• Likewise fix any tech or props that didn’t work in Brighton

Al Frogsbottom: Beefcake @ Peckham Fringe - 15th June

Festival objectives - why are you doing this specific festival?

• I want to use this as a dry run for Manchester because I’ll be reviewed there

• My director can come see it live and give notes

Performance objectives - what do you want to get out of this specific show?

• By this time I should really know the show and so I want to make sure I’m taking time to be present with the audience (ask director to look out for this and review)

I think you’re getting the gist. These goals will change but it’s good to look at what you’ve booked so far and why. So many festivals pop up all time and it’s easy to panic and think “oh god I better get on that too” but the reality is most of us don’t have the time and money to do all of them. Or, like when I did Picnic, it’s impossible to travel your show around all these festivals because you have a large dog cage and pints of fake blood.

Alternatively you might be thinking, “shit I haven’t booked enough previews!” If you’re someone who needs a deadline then make sure you research and apply by the end of this week.

So far I’ve only booked the Rik Mayall festival and my main reason for going is I love Rik Mayall and I just wanted to be part of it. I might try to book one or two more in June/July but as I am doing a WIP in Edinburgh with no objective to hit the ground running with a reviewable show, my time and money might be spent more wisely elsewhere… Like on holiday in Rome.

NEED A HELPING HAND?

If you’re flying solo at the Edinburgh Fringe this year and would like an outside eye, either to go through these goals with you or look at your show, I have new consultant directing packages on offer.

I’ve taken four solo shows to the Fringe before with varying budgets. Overall I’ve performed in 11 full-run productions, sometimes two in one year and visited multiple times when not performing. Being from Edinburgh I’ve seen how the festival has changed. It’s taken me 10 years of living in London to gain some insight on how the Fringe works and even then there are gates I can never get to see through. But the likeliness is, neither can you. We find other ways.

While I’ve never been nominated for an award at the Fringe or been seen by a major publication (oh but you’re Scottish, surely the Scotsman come? Nope!), I think you can learn a lot more from someone’s mistakes than their luck. I certainly have.

If you’d like to read some testimonials and info about my coaching and directing you can check out this post from last year. Although bear in mind that a lot more has happened since!

If you’re interested in my “pay as you go” new client rates or Edinburgh Fringe packages which start at £180 and include “on the ground” add-ons during the festival, please email me: charlievmartin@gmail.com

Chat soon! x

A NOTE ON THE NEW SUBSTACK SUBSCRIPTION

I don’t want to ever put my posts behind a paywall. Most of what I write is about demystifying issues in the arts and comedy and not gatekeeping information. I love that so many people have engaged with my substack and I’d like to expand it.

However, I am working fully freelance in comedy/theatre and struggling in the current economic climate.

Therefore, if you are able to pay something towards this so that I can keep it free for everyone then I would greatly appreciate it.

NO JUDGEMENT IF NOT. I literally cancelled all my paid subscriptions last year when I got made redundant so who am I to say anything.

Despite my hangover from drowning my sorrows the night before over my rejected ACE grant, I had a lovely day. In fact I saw one of my idols, Kathy Burke, crossing the road and decided to take that as a good omen.

I kicked off the day by going to the Bill Murray for a free consultation with Kate Lennon of Reppd, which I suggest checking out, especially if you are unrepped just now.

Then I went to the Soho Theatre to see one of my sketches performed in Gobby Girls: The After Party! I had a fab time and it was fantastic to see how the show and the group have evolved. It was also lovely to catch up with so many amazing, funny women who had come to support. It was like being wrapped in buzzy electric blanket of feminist energy.

And finally, tickets went on sale for…

Charlie Vero-Martin: Poltergeist (WIP) at the Edinburgh Fringe!

I was surprised by how odd it felt to be announcing a return to the Fringe with a solo show even if it is just a WIP this year. This is a new experience for me and while it’s all been in my head for a while, I guess it’s going to be very new and different to what a lot of people are used to seeing me do.

19th - 31st Aug, 17:55 (50min), Hoots - The Yurt at Potterow

BUY EDFRINGE TICKETS NOW

It’s a PWYW show but if you can afford to buy tickets in advance at £5/6/8/10 that would be helpful! And that’s not all…

COMING THROUGH

For the first half of the Fringe, I’ll also be appearing in Coming Through! A mixed bill at the Gilded Saloon starring me, Kate Hammer, Beth Knight and Ifrah Qureshi. Up-and-coming Scottish/Scotland based stand-ups presented by the fantastic Pure Leo.

5th - 16th August, 14:20 (60min), Gilded Balloon - The Gilded Saloon

BUT IF YOU CAN’T WAIT UNTIL AUGUST…

You can see Poltergeist (wip) at the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in May! I’m very excited about this as I LOVE Rik Mayall and to make this performance particularly special, I intend - FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY - to end the show with a tap dance to the Bottom theme tune. Potentially a medley of Rik Mayall related sounds.

Two things to note:

• I am actually a very good tap dancer. I’ve won trophies and everything so don’t worry, it will be fine.

• This has absolutely nothing to do with the show. I put in my application to the Festival back in November that I would do a tap dance because I thought it was funny but now that they’ve booked me I guess I have to do it.

BOOK NOW: 30th May, 18:30 (55min), The Norbury Theatre - Skylight Studio

FINAL SPOTS ON MY CHARACTER COMEDY COURSE!

Wednesdays, 15th April - 20th May, 19:00 - 21:30, Lisson Grove - Marylebone

This will be the fourth time I’ve taught this course. I absolutely love it. It makes me so happy seeing so many unique and bonkers characters out there on the circuit, online and in Fringe shows that were born in these classes.

There is still one partial bursary left for anyone facing financial barriers to taking part. There is also an option to pay in instalment for anyone involved and a 10% Equity discount. Please email for more details at charlievmartin@gmail.com

Character Comedy Course

That’s all from me for now. I am gigging a lot more than I have the last couple of years and the best way to find out about that is to follow me on Instagram.

If YOU have a fun gig you’d like to see me or on OR you’re planning any shenanigans that need extra comedians during the Fringe, please get in touch!

TLDR: The Edinburgh Fringe Society’s instalment scheme for registration fees is bogus and they need to do more for artists, particularly comedians.

SKIP TO:

• The instalment scheme situ that set me off

• Why it’s hard for comedians at the Fringe

• Why the Fringe should care more about this

• Accessibility schemes at the Fringe

• The dangers of performative inclusion for the Fringe

LET’S BEGIN

I guess this is how I’m announcing that I’m returning to the Edinburgh Fringe!

It’s been three years since I took a show. My goals in 2023 were like most performers’: get bigger audiences, get reviews, get industry interest, get an agent, get everything I’ve been working on since the pandemic out of my system.

So it was the first time I went all in: venue in the Big 4, flyerers, big posters, tech, props, costumes, a PR, a producer, a director, a Daniella… I reckon it cost me about £8k and if we ignore the cost of previews and rehearsals I maybe just made that money back. Three years on I also reckon I achieved just about most of my goals to some extent.

This year will be very different. From the 19th - 31st August I’ll be doing a work-in-progress of my new stand-up show, Poltergeist. The plan is to experiment and have fun creating a new style of show for me that is weird and wonderful but stripped back.

Part of this is for artistic reasons but also for financial reasons.

The best way for me to achieve this is to take the pressure off: no reviewers, no industry (unless I think they could help me build the show) and no huge costs.

Again, part of this is for artistic reasons but also for financial reasons.

However, even with a lower key Fringe there are still costs and unfortunately most of them had to be paid the first week of March.

In fact, I’ll share them with you:

• Venue deposit: £190 (the final £125 to be paid in June)

• Photographer fee: £275

• Studio for photoshoot: £120

• Fringe Registration: £295.20 (Early Bird)

I know I could have gone with a free fringe venue but weighing up the pros and cons, I felt £315 was worth it. (Most venues will have added an extra 0 to that too.) I also know the power of a good poster at the Fringe and having not had any headshots taken since 2022, getting some felt like a good investment.

The only con I felt with my venue is that they insisted on you being in the printed Fringe brochure, which meant getting my photo and registration fee ready by 4th March or risk paying full-price.

£880 might not seem like a lot of money to some but to a freelancer who had just paid a tax bill, had two jobs cancelled, was still waiting to be paid for another, is still waiting to be paid from Leicester Comedy Festival (where I didn’t break even if we include transport), is paying other festival fees and living in London… it’s pretty squeaky bum.*

And there will be people paying a lot more than that. As I’ve said before, I couldn’t do the Fringe if I didn’t have free accommodation. A friend of mine was recently looking for a 4th person to share their Fringe flat at £1700 each (single bedroom, shared bathroom) for the month and was getting quite desperate because the hefty deposit had to be paid this month. Even student accommodation works out at around £1300 and you don’t even have a kitchen.

(If you’re new to the astronomical costs of the Fringe and its workings, take a look at this blog from 2022 and inflate the numbers by a few hundred.)

GETTING TO THE POINT, I PROMISE

I was pleased to see that the Fringe Society now offer an instalment plan “to those who would benefit from not having to pay the full fee due all at once, at the point of registration.” Great! A very helpful, appreciated, non-patronising and sustainable option to help professional artists. All you need to do is meet the following criteria and then email registration@edfringe.com.

1. Are an independent organisation/performer registering a show for the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. ✅

2. Have a venue contract in place. ✅

3. Will receive your pay-out from ticket sales (if relevant) instead of your venue. ⚠️

4. Have all of your mandatory and relevant information filled in on Edfringeware ready to register your show. ✅

By the morning of deadline day, I had everything in place but was confused by question 3. Yes, I will receive pay-out as I don’t have an agent or manager or production company doing it for me but.. my venue has a box office and would be paying me out everything altogether. In the 18 years I’ve been performing at the Fringe with several ticketed venues (Underbelly, Hoots, C Venues, Pleasance, Space, Paradise, Gilded Balloon) I’ve never heard of it ever working another way.

I wrote to registration@edfringe explaining that I would really benefit from the scheme but having looked at the criteria on the website I wasn’t sure if I was eligible on point 3 as my venue, Hoots, would be receiving the payout first. This is the response I got:

So… huh? I tried again. This time asking them to bear in mind what we’d just discussed about Hoots and tell me if I’m eligible based on that criteria. Although the only people I could imagine being eligible are those on the free fringe as their venues don’t have a box office.**

I then got a response from a different person (I’m assuming the first passed the buck) telling me that I was ineligible because my venue would receive the payout first. They explained:

“Our reasoning behind this is if there are any issues regarding the installment payment, this is deducted from your payout, which only your venue will have access to.”

They also said:

But by their own logic, they wouldn’t even be able to offer it to people at the free fringe because they would have no opportunity to collect on any defaulted payments.

At this point I was feeling like Mike Birbiglia in “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend”.

WHO COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE FOR?

Well they offered to answer more questions so I took them up on it.***

I asked if they had a list of venues that allowed for this process as it would be helpful to know for the future and also because I coach/direct a lot of new acts coming to the Fringe. I also asked if they had any reports/info/numbers to show how many had benefitted from this scheme. Surely as a registered charity that love banging on about how accessible they are, they must have some gauge of measuring the success.

If this is the first year they’ve run the scheme then perhaps that’s fair enough but in my experience when someone/a company refuses to share evidence because of GDPR even though it’s not protected data, it usually means they’re full of shit.

I was once again advised that if I knew anyone who might be eligible for the instalment scheme that I should point them toward the same page of the website I’d just established four times made no fudging sense.

They then suggested I get in touch with artists@edfringe.com who would have much more information about financial support for artists, including the instalment plan.

I forwarded “artists@” the email thread and asked them to clarify who this scheme benefited and if they knew any venues that could participate. Over three weeks later, I’ve still received no response.

But I did hear back from some other lovely people…

DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER

I tried to really think of venues at the Fringe that would do ticketed shows but not have their own box office or interfere in any way with ticketing. It would have to literally be an empty room. I’ve worked with local youth theatre and am dram groups in Edinburgh that usually perform in church halls and community centres. Is that all it could be?

Yes. Using the Edinburgh Fringe website’s “venue finding tool” of hundreds upon hundreds of venues, I searched for spaces with the following conditions: accepts comedy and has no box office. I then removed the listings I knew to also be part of the free fringe.

The result? 11 venues.

I wrote to them saying I was doing some research on the Fringe instalment plan and asked if they heard of it and if they could tell me more about their venue.

I receive really lovely emails back from around half. Most of them saying that they were unaware of the scheme or how that worked but confirmed that they didn’t get involved in ticket sales. My hunch was correct: they were primarily church halls and community centres/event spaces. They were also in areas of Edinburgh that I wouldn’t associate as being close to the Fringe hub (Portobello, Leith, Morningside, Stockbridge).

Many of the church halls also have huge capacities and were therefore only suited to concerts or musicals. I couldn’t therefore recommend them to any comedian I know trying to make their big break at the Fringe.

That’s not to say that these aren’t great venues! They are excellent and necessary spaces and particularly good for local groups who already have an audience and are performing with an aim to connect with communities throughout Edinburgh. But I would argue that these are not the people most in need of an instalment scheme and yet appear - by the Fringe Society’s logic and criteria - the only people who can benefit.

SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

There is very little funding open to comedians. We aren’t eligible for a lot of arts grants like ACE because comedy isn’t considered an art form. This is why the Keep It Fringe Fund, which gave 180 productions across the Fringe last year £2500 was so welcomed. While I hear it was flawed (coming out too late to help with upfront costs and budgeting; giving money to shows that have already had successful runs; giving money to nepobabies/industry supported acts and those who maybe want to meet Phoebe Wallerbridge more than need the money) it was a lifesaver to many comedy acts.

That’s why it was so devastating when it was announced last month that the fund would only be awarded to 12 productions. I say announced, no statement or reference was made to the 93% reduction until me and hundreds of other comedians wrote in asking “IS THIS A TYPO??”

Many have now turned to crowdfunders, which is also the only other suggestion the Fringe website seems to offer. Personally, having done a few crowdfunders as a student and earlier in my career, I just can’t bring myself to ask friends and family to fund my fifth Fringe show.

This is the reality for a lot of comedians in the middle of their careers: not able to apply for “debut” funds and opportunities but also not getting paid adequately for doing professional work year round to also fund a Fringe project. It can feel like if you’re not a bright shiny newbie or a big star on TV you’re fucked.

You might still be asking, so what? How many comedians can that really be and why should the Fringe Society give them any special help?

Here is the breakdown of last year’s Fringe programme by genre:

Comedy consistently makes up the largest proportion of the Fringe. The majority of those 1214 shows will not be big TV names or debuts. The Fringe, and all the economic and cultural benefits that come with it, can’t exist without the comedians who make up more than a third of its programming. Yet we are most likely to be working alone and have the least access to funding.

I’ve heard some Theatre people (bearing in mind, I’ve done Theatre and Kids shows at the Fringe too) say “well it’s meant to be a Fringe festival not a Comedy festival so that’s fine!” The fear being that any more support for comedy would mean a complete take-over. My argument is that if there isn’t more support soon, that big comedy chunk of pie will disappear and so will the Fringe.

WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT?

It shouldn’t have to come down to economic arguments in the arts but here we go…

Despite the constant praise for sponsors and private donations, over a third of the Fringe’s income comes from the Box Office. The Fringe society takes 5% commission of each ticket sold. Tickets to go see… performers.

15% of income (practically the same as “project income”, whatever that means) comes from Participant fees. This is the registration fee (£295.20 - £393.60) which is paid by… performers.

The biggest expenditure by far goes to salaries and fees… that are not for performers.

It surprises me so much every year when I meet audience members who assume that the Fringe Society or venues pay the performers.

Of course I’m all for people getting paid for the work they do at the Edinburgh Fringe Society. (In fact, I’d go as far to say that I think we should abolish volunteer structures in general but let’s not get into that just now!)

Answering the 2000+ email enquiries (I swear my three emails are the first time I’ve bothered them) is labour that deserves to be paid and their work is very necessary to the running of the Fringe Festival.

But ultimately the 3 million people that visit Edinburgh for the Fringe each year don’t come to watch someone do admin.

Without performers there is no festival and therefore no jobs, and comedians make up more than a third of those performers.

And it doesn’t stop there.

ALL ACCESS PASS

The Fringe Society’s “End of Year Review” always makes for interesting/frustrating reading.

It surely goes without saying that I’m all up for making art as accessible as possible and it’s great to see initiatives for this growing. But the majority of the captioned/BSL/audio described performances at the Edinburgh Fringe are only possible because the artists organise/pay for these accessibility improvements.

Take a look at this:

What I’m seeing:

• Out of 276 audio-subscribed performances, only 14 were helped by the 2 kits the Fringe Society made available.

• Out of 459 captioned performances, only 40 were “supported” by the Fringe Society meaning some got money or a free kit or both.

• 154 BSL-interpreted performances were registered at the Fringe but it doesn’t say the Fringe Society paid for any of those interpreters.

So who footed the bill for the rest? Performers. And this I will cede this is definitely more likely to be those in Theatre/Kids/Musicals etc than Comedians.

I would love to have a BSL interpreter for at least one of my gigs. But from a quick google I reckon that would cost an extra £200 per show plus rehearsing with them, which I just can’t afford.

And I’m not shitting on the work people at the Fringe Society is doing here. I’m just asking them to give credit where it’s due and bear in mind that if they really want accessibility to improve at the festival, they need to be supporting performers more overall.

NOW I WILL GIVE THE FRINGE SOCIETY CREDIT HERE:

All of this is good news. Trying to make a medieval city like Edinburgh with its cobbled streets, awkward narrow buildings and constant stairs, more physically accessible is an extremely hard task and very valuable work.

Ok but I’m afraid I’m about to start grumbling again…

The Fringe Society’s next big boast is how they help the local community get involved by supplying free tickets to those from deprived areas. Of course, as someone from Edinburgh I’m not against that. But these tickets are donated by the artists, they are not subsidised by the Fringe Society.

Sure they do work setting up pop-up box offices and working with charities to get the word out but ultimately the 14,057 tickets that were booked through this scheme last year would not have been possible without the generosity of performers.

There is actually a minimum requirement to allow 4 tickets to this scheme per performance and you are encouraged to donate 6. I’m sure very few performers resent this - and I’d be annoyed if they did - but I just want to be transparent.

The Fringe Society does do a lot more than they used to for local accessibility. I would have loved to have been part of some of the school schemes they do now. A lot of them involve meeting artists and doing workshops with productions but again… are the artists getting subsidised for that? Are they getting help to transport their props and actors and plan/facilitate these workshops? Maybe. I hope so.

Once again, it’s not likely to be comedians doing this although I’m sure many including myself would love to. I just simply do not have the capacity as an individual artist to pay and manage it.

As an Edinburgh person I’d also say that some of the biggest issues for locals is the amount of public space that is taken up by temporary venues, the damage done as a result, the hike in prices across the city and tenants being chucked out of flats so landlords can make an extra buck… But the Fringe Society are never going to get involved with any of that.

Anyway, why is this important?

PERFORMATIVE INCLUSION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS

Obviously it’s a good thing that accessibility for audiences is improving at the Fringe. That is not what I’m referring to here. And this is not like other issues of performative inclusion in the performing arts where institutions praise themselves for running a scheme that helps maybe 12 people for a year and ignores the structural changes needed to actually make the arts more accessible and equitable.

Although there is some crossover.

By patting themselves loudly on the back for work they are not doing or paying for, they disguise the bigger issues that continue to fester. Namely that artists can’t afford to keep coming to the Fringe but them doing so is what holds up the festival, jobs and accessibility.

Furthermore, the Fringe Society will continue to use these well-meaning credits as they have in the past to continue to squeeze performers.

For example, let’s look at where where this all started, with the registration fee.

The Fringe Society love to remind us that the fee has managed to stay frozen for 18 years. My first thought is WTF did they need that for in 2008?? Was the brochure made of silk? Is that when they built the website?

To be fair, had the registration fee continued to rise with inflation then it would be well over £600 by now although they did increase their commission to off balance this1. They are also potentially raising the fee by 10% next year.

I’m not saying the Fringe Society have an easy job. Government funding for arts and culture has been atrocious in recent decades.

But there are things they can do that would help. Small things.

Again, let’s just take the registration fee:

1. Do the scheme you said you were doing but make it actually work. Scrap the “no venue intermediary policy” and just say if you default on your payment your show will be pulled. Get the venues or contracts involved if need be. Or, set up some kind of Klarna type collaboration?

2. Stagger the registration fee more. Paying the same to do 6 shows as 26 is mad. An option for 7-14 shows would help a lot of performers doing shorter runs (and encourage venues to programme them).

3. Be more transparent about where this money is going. Those two pie charts aren’t enough.

4. Consider getting rid of the print brochure or at least extending the deadline.

These small changes might not make much difference in the grand scheme of things but it would have done for me and I’m sure for others too.

I COME IN PEACE

I’m not saying any of this to be mean or ungrateful. I’m saying this out of panic.

I always feel awkward about that adage “never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

If this is not about corporate greed then it must be about ignorance. Either way, accusing someone extensively of either is likely to sound whiny and offensive.

I’m definitely not getting the Keep It Fringe Fund next year, am I? One google and I’m out. No worries, it will probably be three free foot rubs by 2027.

Thank you for reading. x

P.S. There are still spots left on my Character Comedy Course including one of the partial bursaries. All info here. (And I do offer instalment plans.)

*If you can’t figure out what I mean by this then have fun making something up.

**If you are a ticketed show you have to sell at least 25% of your tickets through the Edinburgh Fringe box office so all box offices are linked. So the Fringe Box Office send their money to the venue’s box office who add the sells together and takes their cut before sending it to you.

***They did also offer to make an “exception” for me and pass me on to the finance team but at that late hour I didn’t want to risk missing the deadline so I slapped it on the edge of a credit card. At this point I mainly just wanted to understand.

Part of this is practical. Festivals like Vault (RIP), Leicester Comedy Fest, Soho Rising and Glasgow Comedy Fest routinely kicking off at this time gives many a useful deadline to work towards. “By February I have to stitch together the various bits in my head and reveal my Frankenstein’s monster to the world even if it’s terrifying.”

There is also a mental kickstart. In the last couple of weeks many people (myself included but more on that later) will have accepted venue deals for the Edinburgh Fringe. The confirmation of that commitment sets off an alarm bell.

June usually heralds the start of preview season with Brighton Fringe and now, Rik Mayall Comedy Festival - more on that later too. Previews can be a sliding scale of “a slight step up from a WIP” to “basically a final draft of an Edinburgh Fringe show”. In the past I’ve been changing the show right up to “preview” dates in Edinburgh in August but I really wouldn’t recommend that.

Personally, I’m not that fussed about seeing previews but I love seeing WIPs. Particularly February WIPs. I’ve written before about how this in one of the reasons I love Leicester Comedy Festival so much. Unfortunately due to other commitments I’m unable to spend any time watching shows in Leicester this year.

BUT YOU CAN STILL COME SEE ME ON SATURDAY 14TH FEB AT 15:45

BUY TICKETS NOW!

I was lucky this weekend to catch two delightful WIPs by Han Whyte (Roger Prick) and Emma Rose Davis (Alllison Pope). I’ve worked with both on their characters in recent years and it was lovely to watch how these shows have developed. Furthermore, it was wonderful seeing them taking risks. Sure, some things didn’t work, props broke, tech got confused and there were occasional placeholders - sometimes literally - but that’s what it’s all about.

A Work-In-Progress is in that really squidgy area where you don’t quite have the freedom to just play around and improvise everything but you don’t have the stability yet to stay on top of all your ideas and cues. It’s a bit like Mr Bean trying to drive his car from the roof with a mop and a brick. It can feel painful to do but it’s what I really love to see. Not because I’m a sadist but because I know that it will eventually lead to something really exciting and unique. I love getting to see acts try something new and original at this stage.

Being “in the shit” is vital for performers.* Taking risks now is better than doing it later down the line (I know from lots of experience) and can help you generate more material. It also stops the work becoming stale before you even get to doing a full run or tour.

So my advice to everyone this month, whether it’s your first ever work-in-progress show or your 100th, is enjoy it. Embrace the awkward phase. Show the world your ugly baby. Let your monster limp around the stage screaming. It’s the only way to shape it into something beautiful.

All that said, my Work-In-Progress season is going to have an extended run… For the first time ever, I’m taking a WIP to the Edinburgh Fringe for just two weeks with a view to hopefully coming back next year for a full run. This is primarily due to finances and other commitments but I’m also looking forward to taking my time with this project and trying new things.

You can see the first official work-in-progress of my first ever stand-up show, Poltergeist, this Saturday (14th February) at the Leicester Comedy Festival…

* Very much a lesson from Gaulier. I can’t believe we’ve lost him and Catherine O’Hara in such quick succession. The world is really trying to rid us of joy.

I had various plans for substacks to write for December but due to a horrible cold and a bad oyster I had to cancel many of my best laid plans this month.

So instead I’m going to round off the year with a short message and a promise to write more thoughtful posts in the new year. It’s not been the easiest 12 months. It’s been a pretty rough year for lots of us on a macro and micro level. I’m hoping to shed off the year of the snake and gallop into 2026 with big horse energy. (Let me hear all my fellow 1990 babies neigh!)

I was very happy to be invited back to do a Christmas episode for Pitch It Good, which you can listen to here or wherever else you listen to podcasts. Here’s a sneak peek:

And here are 5 Christmas sitcom episodes I’ve rediscovered recently that I recommend if you’ve already exhausted your Christmas watchlist:

1. The Thin Blue Line - “Yule Tide Spirit” (Warning, some VERY 90s humour)*

2. Vicar of Dibley - “Winter” (This is the one with the Nativity, which I think is far superior to the Christmas Dinner one that’s always shown)**

3. Community - “Regional Holiday Music” (Alison Brie being delightful)

4. Bob’s Burgers - “God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins” (I actually love all the Christmas episodes but this one is so weird and could only be done on this show)

5. Porridge - “The Desperate Hours” (Ronnie Barker is just such a great writer and actor. He also reminds me of my Granddad)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

*Supports my theory that sitcom episodes where babies are born are some of the best

** Point proven again

Please like, comment and share as much as you can on…

Instagram:

TikTok:

@bbc_scotland“What’s guising?” 😱 Your guide to a Scottish Halloween! #ShortStuff

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

And FACEBOOK (Apparently Substack doesn’t like embedding videos from facebook).

I’m assuming it’s also on X but I can’t access it.

👻 👻 👻

AND IN OTHER SPOOKY NEWS…

Get your tickets now for the Weirdos’ 2025 Halloween Show…

KILLER SEAGULLS OF SOMERSET!

I play a character I’d describe as manic pixie fish girl with an extremely dubious west country accent. Don’t miss out!

GET TICKETS

Thursday is selling out so get in quick if you want to set off your halloween right.

It’s the only way to truly know what we’re rehearsing here…

*Google spells it “tumshie” but my entire life I’ve been pronouncing it with a “p” so I’m just going to continue that way.

“The most sophisticated people I know - inside they are children” Jim Henson

I’m very excited to be running my 6-week Improv for Confidence, Creativity and Communication course again this September.

The first cohort in spring were such a gorgeous group coming from a variety of industries and backgrounds.

By the end of the six weeks, friendships were made, fears were overcome and a great deal of laughs were had. It’s been lovely catching up with some of them and hearing how tasks that previously would have kept them up all night now not only felt doable but enjoyable.

This course adapts the games and exercises I use for coaching improvisers to help sharpen your communication skills, explore your creativity and boost your confidence. They are very practical sessions full of fun. It’s all the joy of improv without the pressure to get up on stage.

Sign up now!

In the spirit of my favourite improv warm up, here are 8 Things you can look forward to on my Improv for Confidence, Creativity and Communication Course starting on the 11th September:

1. This isn’t any normal “public speaking” course.

If the idea of presenting brings you out in a sweat, my goal isn’t just to help you get through it but to revel in it. To learn to love the power of being in control of the room and giving your voice.

I don’t spend much time on presentation skills because the truth is, most people know what a good presentation looks and sounds like. We work on body and voice connection, commanding the space and bringing out your passion so you can connect with the audience.

We didn’t all go to schools where we were taught how to talk like the next prime minister - I certainly didn’t - and many of us have experiences of being talked over or being told to be quiet.

I hope this course helps you find your voice and realise that those who put you down are the ones most scared of what you have to say.

2. It’s really fun.

We learn by playing games that I use for coaching improv teams. Most of them have very clear learning outcomes for instance, practising active listening and pushing mental agility and some are just… silly. And that’s also valid!

How often do you give yourself permission to play? We know that play is vital for children’s growth and we see it as a sign of intelligence for animals yet for human adults we rarely give ourselves the opportunity to play with each other in a non competitive way.

That said, one warm-up that I assumed was just for fun called “Kitty Cat Careers” gave one previous participant a breakthrough about self-doubt!

3. Freedom to fail

We know that making mistakes is integral to any kind of growth or creative process. We’ve heard countless tales of athletes, artists, inventors failing a hundred times before they succeeded and yet we still won’t give ourselves that grace.

This course gives you a supportive space where you can push yourself and try new things. It’s not about overcoming the fear of failure or becoming immune to it but learning how to laugh it off and move on. You can’t gain true confidence without its knowing sister: resilience.

4. Discover strengths you already had

People often come to me saying they need “more confidence”, which encompasses a broad spectrum. We discuss what confidence means to you, where you already feel confident and how that can help you be bolder in other areas.

Look at the diagram below. Which situations do you find nerve-racking and which do you do without thinking twice?

5. Get out of your comfort zone

You could jump out a plane, hold a spider, take an ice bath but what do those challenges really teach you? Improv forces you to take risks and put yourself out there but in a way that feels supported and sustainable. Some people jump all-in week 1, others go a little bit further each time. Both are valuable approaches.

The joy of a 6-week course with an intimate group is that you can track your progress over time and in a practical setting. (Unless your job is a paratrooping arachnologist based in the Arctic in which case, try the first suggestions.)

6. Make friends!

It can be hard to make new friends as an adult, especially in a big city in London. From engineers to TV producers, this course attracts people from all backgrounds who are ready to have fun and support each other.

Classes often finish with a catch up in the venue’s bar. At the end of the last course, one participant made everyone medals!

7. Learn to hold fast to think fast

One of the most impressive skills good improvisers have is their ability to think quickly on their feet. No matter what is thrown at them, they can make it work. This is obviously a useful talent to have in many lines of work. But here is what most people get wrong about “quick thinking”…

It’s not actually about thinking fast. In fact, it’s more about slowing down. If you are able to stay calm and present in the moment, you are able to listen and respond accordingly without hesitation. This gives the impression of quick and decisive thinking. The majority of exercises and games we play in improv and this course are designed to enhance and practise this ability.

8. Discover that certain je ne sais quoi…

They say charisma can’t be taught but I beg to differ. Confidence in yourself, passion for your subject and connection with your audience can give a very charismatic impact. Another key but elusive factor is “authenticity”.

We know it when we experience it and we cringe or drop-off when we don’t. If you want to take your presentation to the next level, you have to go beyond the cookie-cutter training and dig a little deeper.

Over the 6-weeks, in this tight and supportive group I will give you personal feedback and tailored exercises to help bring out your unique style.

The course begins on the 11th September and runs every Thursday evening 7-9.15pm at Theatre Deli (Liverpool Street) until the 16th October. (Booking closes 9th September)

There are two Partial Bursary places at £100 each for freelancers/artists/independent business/charities on tight budgets. If you are interested in one of these, please get in touch.

I love teaching this course and seeing people come together and cheer each other on. It’s been amazing to watch participants transform and take on new challenges.

And don’t just take my word for it. Here is what former participants have said…

“Charlie’s training course was a lot of fun and a valuable experience. The course offered an innovative approach to learning communication skills through improv and play-based exercises. Charlie created a supportive and welcoming environment that encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace uncertainty. These are valuable skills, especially when it comes to public speaking and professional communication. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to grow personally and professionally in a fun and creative way. Thank you so much.”

"Charlie was an excellent host - really reassuring and light as she guided us through various playful exercises. It all had a really good impact and the lessons will stay with me into everyday life."

"Charlie was fantastic, she paid attention to everyone's needs on the course and adjusted the content accordingly. It really helped me to develop my confidence and felt like a great support group, sometimes even like therapy!"

See you there!

Book your place now

Starting with my Edinburgh Fringe directorial debut…

Emma Davies: Screw Upz (WIP)

Emma was part of my very first Character Comedy Course (running again in October) where she created the beautifully unique and unhinged Vanilla Jane.

I was very excited when she asked me to hop on board for this last minute work-in-progress run of her solo debut. The show features Emma as Camilla Jane, the world’s worst HR expert, delivering her surreal brand of training through the style of a 90s game show. She’s had me in stitches in rehearsals and I think it’s going to be a banger of a late night show.

If you are interested in:

• 90s club music

• 90s pop music

• character comedy

• clowning around

• being hit on/told off by a woman on the edge

• hating on the job market

This is the show for you.

23:10 - Hoots 2, The Apex, Grassmarket

Get Tickets

Gobby Girls: The 11% Club

When Gobby Girls Productions discovered that only 11% of sitcoms commissioned this year were written by women, they sprang into action to turn around this all-female sketch show for the Fringe in less than a couple of months.

Auditions/submissions were open to all on the GG network (around 1000 women and non-binary people in comedy). From there they’ve selected a fabulous cast and writing team (including me) to put together this sketch show about why women shouldn’t do comedy.

I will not be performing but I have thoroughly enjoyed writing with the whole gang and look forward to watching my sketch on Monday! If you’re in town, come join me…

17:30 - Three Sisters, Laughing Horse

Come Support

The Faustus Project

Every night Half Trick are performing a production of Faustus but with a different actor in the title role for each performance.

On Tuesday 19th August, I will be performing the tortured soul and from the looks of the consent form they are not kidding about the amount of torture!

I am not allowed to see the show beforehand, rehearse with the cast or speak to anyone else who has seen/performed in it. All I have is a heavily redacted copy of the script… It’s going to be fun! Besides, when else am I going to be cast in such a part?

Come see me perform on the 19th Aug, Underbelly Cowgate, 21:05

Book now!

I’ll also be performing at ACMS in Monkey Barrel on Wednesday 20th. It’s literally one of my favourite events of the year. I’ll be on sometime between midnight and 3am.

I arrive on Sunday for tech rehearsals and then have a pretty packed out schedule until I leave Monday 25th. If you’re in town and would like to hang out/see a show with me, get in touch and I’ll share my itinerary!

Sadly, I can’t offer any free passes to Edinburgh’s most exclusive soiree (my niece’s Wicked themed 7th birthday party).

See you soon!

Four years ago I wrote how crazy it was that going to clown school in Paris was cheaper and more accessible than doing a comedy festival in my hometown. Now I’m considering flying to the other side of the world.

It’s that topsy turvy time of year where I watch my London friends complain about delayed trains and the weather in Edinburgh while I for once stay put and enjoy the London sunshine. (Ok, it literally just started chucking it down but the people in Edinburgh don’t know that.)

Not doing the Edinburgh Fringe this year was as surprisingly easy a choice as it was for me last year.

That is not to say I am in any way disparaging of those who have chosen to do it. God Speed! Especially those who haven’t been before/post-lockdown. I 100% get the need to get it out of your system. (Please just be very clear on your goals and don’t bankrupt yourself.)

I’ll be interested however if next year and the year after they’ll feel the way I have recently.

My reasons for not doing the Edinburgh Fringe this year are broadly two-fold:

1. Money

I just don’t have it. Even with free accommodation in Edinburgh - which is the only reason I could afford it in the past - I just wouldn’t be able to make it work. The first three years I took a solo show to the Fringe, I did it on a budget and everything by myself. The only exception being having a tech who was always a friend/fellow comedian who also stayed in my parents’ house in exchange.

2023, having taken a 4 year break because of some stuff going on in the world, I decided to do Fringe the “proper” way: a venue in one of the “Big 4”; hiring a PR; hiring a Producer who also hired flyerers; hiring a Director; hiring a Daniella; getting a big poster; previewing at other festivals such as VAULT, Leicester and Glasgow and generally allowing myself to push the boat out in terms of set, props and tech.

And do you know what? It helped. My shows were better attended and reviewed. I got to meet more people and do fun gigs. And while I didn’t achieve everything I hoped, it was certainly a lot more than I had managed in previous years. I don’t think it was because my previous shows weren’t as good or I was less experienced, it’s just money and connections unlocks so much more than effort and talent can. 15 years ago you maybe didn’t need that so much but nowadays it feels pretty vital.

But not having enough money to do the Edinburgh Fringe is only half the story. Even if I did, would it be best the place to spend it?

For the same money I reckon I could fly to Australia, take a month off and tour all the comedy festivals there. Maybe even New Zealand! I have friends in Melbourne who would be happy to put me up but I’m sure I could get a cheap hotel room for the rest. The audiences would be fresh and enthusiastic. There would probably be less of a battle to get reviewers to come. Flip, I might even be in the running for an award!

Why spend so much money to stay here and be ignored by the people who have ignored me all year round for the last decade when I could go somewhere new?

There are other ways to invest your money too. When you don’t do the the Edinburgh Fringe you potentially* have the money and time to do something that might be more enriching for your career. For instance, in 2022, I went to clown school in France, which had always felt like an impossible dream.

Or you could go on a nice holiday. Last year I finally went on my honeymoon to Vietnam. It probably cost the same as two weeks at the Fringe.

See me at Camden Fringe - 10 Aug

2. Time

This follows the same pattern as money. Firstly, there’s the case of “having enough”. This year I am fully freelance and so it may look like on the surface I have lots of time but the reality is that’s it’s just unstructured. I can’t plan for anything . I have to prioritise paid jobs at the drop of a hat. If none are coming in then I constantly have to be spending time chasing them.

Cost of Living Crises and the general economy sucks - it’s a technical term. This year my work from companies I freelanced for previously has halved or worse. I’ve cancelled two courses and three taster sessions. The time that wastes stings (almost) as much as the money I lose.

BUT EVEN IF I HAD THE TIME… to write a brand new Edinburgh Fringe hour, would it be the best thing for me?

Last year I enjoyed taking the time to try lots of new things. This year I’ve been taking classes with Told By An Idiot, Rachel Mars, Eric Davis and returning to ballet. I’ve had so many ideas for shows but fought the urge to pounce on one and say “THIS, this is the show I’m going to write for next year!”

In fact, Rachel Mars in her 2-day “Fuck it, I’ll do it myself workshop”** on writing solo theatre blew my mind with one exercise… Everyone had to write an “Audacious List”, i.e. what would you consider to be too audacious to have as part of your solo show. She threw out a number of examples, “perhaps it’s in the round or an arena; maybe you have a full choir backing you; OR MAYBE IT DOESN’T NEATLY FIT INTO A FRINGE HOUR.”

It’s ridiculous how long it’s taken me to realise and accept that I’m not limited to writing one show at a time and that they don’t have to be for the Edinburgh Fringe.

Over the last two years I’ve been wrestling with the idea of writing something more dramatic. It’s what took me to Rachel Mars’ workshop but I realised in that exercise I was still holding myself to Fringe rules. In fact, when people asked me what I was interested in doing next I’d explain it as “something that would maybe go under the ‘theatre’ section of the brochure rather than ‘comedy’”.

Da fuck.

I’m allowed to take longer than a year to write a play. It might take a decade. It might go to Edinburgh but in a month other than August. And it could, God forbid, even have an interval.

That said…

I still love writing comedy shows. I am a comedian. And I still love the Edinburgh Fringe.

I’ve written four solo character comedy shows for the Fringe. They’ve all included puppets, props, stories, big/historical themes, audience participation, improv, dark twists and of course, multiple characters. Even when I’ve appeared as myself that has been a very curated version of myself to fit the format.

I am potentially writing a new hour BUT with a new challenge and not necessarily for Edinburgh. I’m keen to see if I can deliver a show that feels like mine but completely stripped back. Basically, a show I would consider stand-up rather than character comedy or sketch. (I’m still working in the brochure terms I’ve been gradually conditioned into by the Fringe - character comedy didn’t even exist as an option when I started!)

Come see it next week at the Bill Murray

In an ideal world I would do it in Edinburgh next year for 2 weeks. The industry people who never bothered to see me the last four full runs aren’t going to start coming if I do a fifth. Unfortunately, the way venues and the Fringe Society have set up the festival means you are disincentivised from doing anything less than a full run. (I discuss this in my 2022 post.)

If that’s still the case next year, I can see me swapping my battered sausage for a kangaroo. Four years ago I wrote how crazy it was that going to clown school in Paris was cheaper and more accessible than doing a comedy festival in my hometown. Now I’m considering flying to the other side of the world.

As I say, I wish everyone up in Edinburgh for the Fringe right now every ounce of luck. It’s an incredible opportunity and worth doing if you can afford to at least once.

But I believe the era of comedians going up year after year, creating a new hour each time, has come to an end. It has for me at least.

HOWEVER…

I am doing a brand new solo comedy hour next week and I’d really love you to come. It’s very much a work-in-progress, especially as I had to cancel my show in Manchester! It will be fun, fresh and hopefully very funny.

BUY TICKETS NOW

I will also be up in Edinburgh for the final week as I am DIRECTING a very funny comedy show, WRITING for a very funny comedy show and PERFORMING guest spots in a number of very funny comedy shows. It’s also my niece’s 7th birthday.

Details for all of the above coming very soon.

(Not for my niece’s Wicked themed birthday party as that’s an extremely exclusive VIP event. Genuinely referred to by previous Fringe performers as “lit”.)

*Because you might be like me this year and just need that money to you know, eat.

**That was the name in essence, at least.

Here are some things I’ve got coming up and I’d love you to support if you can…

THIS SUNDAY - GREATER MANCHESTER FRINGE

I’m very excited to be doing my first gig in Manchester and it’s a special one. Lots of unheard material and my first forays back into performing after a lengthy break. This is the very start of what feels like is going to be a very exciting process towards a very different type of show for me. So please come help be part of it!

Buy Manchester Tickets

NEXT THURSDAY - JOLLITY COACHING IMPROV TASTER SESSION

A super fun, low-pressure, zero experience necessary improv class for people who are interested in the benefits of improv but never want to perform. It’s particularly good if you’re thinking about doing my 6-week Improv for Confidence, Creativity and Communication course.

(Please note that although the workshop is on Thursday 17th July, booking ends on Tuesday 15th so book now!)

Book Taster Session

SATURDAY 19TH JULY - IMPROV! CHARACTERS! JOY!

I last ran this workshop two years ago and it was a riot! Since then I’ve been running lots of courses and exploring lots of fun things so it’s going to be ICJ 2.0 if you will.

This is improv and character comedy via clown, bouffon and puppetry. It’ll be silly, it’ll be fun and you’ll learn a whole lot about being intuitive on stage.

Book Workshop

That’s all the July updates but for those in London in August…

Come see me at the Bill Murray! This is gonna be a hoot.

Book Bill Murray WIP

I will be writing a more thoughtful post soon but right now I am up to my eyes in it and reenacting this episode of Black Books…

Happy melting.

Are you taking a show to the Edinburgh or Camden Fringe and want a fresh pair of eyes? Perhaps you’re creating a new act and could do with some direction? Or maybe your improv group needs an impartial guide to take the reins for a session.

With multiple Fringe runs under my belt and over 16 years experience in improv, sketch and character comedy I’m sure I’ll be able to assist. I could list all my accolades and credits but I’ll let some of my recent clients do the talking instead:

“Charlie’s coaching has been crucial to the growth of my act. She encourages me to get out of my comfort zone, engage with new techniques while developing those familiar to me, and achieve the best possible outcomes of my performance, all within the friendly, non-intimidating environment she creates. She is engaging, knowledgeable, positive and above all, a great listener. I can’t recommend her enough!” - Hannah Whyte

“I was apprehensive about how useful an online 1-1 with someone I’ve never worked with could be, but by the end of the session I’d got several new ideas for material (including incorporating crowd work which I’d specifically asked about), practical tips for how to develop the character’s physicality (acted out by Charlie!) and had deepened my understanding of both the character and my process. I also cried laughing because Charlie is so funny. She’d watched the clip of my act that I’d sent and already had a solid grasp of the character. I felt I could be honest, vulnerable, theoretical and stupid. All approaches to the conversation were on the table. I was so surprised at how useful it was! I’m feeling excited and confident about applying the ideas we discussed. I hope to work with a Charlie a lot more in the future. It’s worth a lot more than £15 but don’t tell her I said that.” - Judy Harris

Charlie is a brilliant performer and teacher. She is highly creative and very astute when it comes to planning sketches and bits. She is really fun and flexible in her approach - she got me to the sketch off semi final and I know she got others to the final thanks to her coaching and eye for comedy.” - Emma Davies

"Thanks very much for your help with the show, you really brought more life to the material and gave us a great outside perspective whilst being conscious of the level of change we could achieve in a short timeframe." - Nadine Bailey

“Charlie is a great coach, her style is enthusiastic and encouraging, taking time to give practical and actionable notes that have without doubt made our shows better. She has a great understanding of all aspects of comedy and brings a clear, useful perspective to any group. Thanks Charlie!” - Gamez

So whether you’re in improv, stand-up, sketch or character comedy or even theatre - I can be dramatic - please consider getting in touch. I have fairly good availability in July (for now).

BUT WHAT’S IT GONNA COST ME?

Here are my current rates* for artistic** coaching and directing services:

• 1-1, zoom call, £15/hr (1hr minimum)

• 1-1, in-person session, £30/hr (2hrs minimum)

• Improv/sketch/theatre groups, in-person sessions, £50/hr (2hrs minimum)

As a member of Theatre Deli I can book studio space at a discounted rate (20-30% off) on your behalf and will do so at no extra charge.

* If you’re a former student of my Character Comedy or Improv Rules and How to Break Them courses or workshops please refer to the discount rates I quoted you, which are valid for within one year of your course.

** Please note these rates are for actors/comedians. My Jollity Coaching rates are separate.

So if you’re interested in booking in a session, drop me a line!

Remember I also have two very fun workshops coming up in July if you’d like to dip your toe in…

• 17th July - Jollity Coaching: Improv for Confidence, Creativity & Communication Taster Session

• 19th July - Improv! Characters! Joy! All-day play and discovery workshop

See you soon! xxx

Spring has sprung and here are the headlines:

SKETCHES!

The first two sketches I wrote/performed for BBC Scotland’s “Short Stuff” earlier this year are now out! Please like/share/comment on instagram/tiktok/facebook/X/youtube. The third sketch will be released later this year…

SHOWS!

I have two WIPs coming up this summer for my brand new solo show. Please share with friends in Manchester and those who’ll be in London in August.

Greater Manchester Fringe - Gulliver’s Lounge - 13th July

Camden Fringe - The Bill Murray - 10th August

COURSES & WORKSHOPS!

I have just listed all my upcoming workshops and courses for the rest of the year. I am unlikely to be scheduling any more courses until Spring 2026 so if you’re keen to get involved, sign up now!

Book Now

And that’s me for April. Have a lovely weekend. xxx

A lot happened last month and I’m still digesting it.

It kicked off with filming three sketches I’d written for BBC Scotland in Edinburgh and Greenock over two days. After a long process and rescheduling it felt bizarre to actually be getting to do it! I was so lucky to have Rachel-Anne of Pure Leo producing and the multitalented Kate Hammer directing as well as the incredible (all female) cast and crew. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than that for now…

However, something very unexpected happened at the end of the first day of shooting. On the train back from Greenock, two film students who were assisting on the production were asking for advice about working in comedy and the industry. They were surprised that I offered to work on any of their future projects and that others had also shown interest. I explained, that people actually do want to help because they want to see good work prevail and they also want to work (especially when they find people they like!). We’re all in the same boat and so the connections we make are so valuable and they should enjoy their last year of film school as much as possible.

For example, just a couple of weeks before, my old mentor Bill Dare from the NFTS had put me in touch with a radio producer I admired and we were now writing a pitch together. The year before, Bill had jumped on a zoom call to give me some advice about contracts in lieu of me not having an agent to turn to. It had been a decade since I’d graduated from the very first intake of the NFTS Writing and Producing Comedy Diploma with Channel 4 and while the course didn’t give me the career path I’d hoped for, the connections and mentorship from Bill still helped me to this day.

As I said goodbye and boarded my connecting train in Glasgow I thought, I should write to Bill to thank him for that introduction and tell him how much I enjoyed his new series. I sat down, checked my phone for the first time in hours and saw a post by Marcus Brigstocke on Instagram: Bill Dare had passed away.

It was very surreal. Over the next couple of days I’d learn that he had died in a car accident in Colombia.

Since then I’ve reconnected with friends I hadn’t seen in months or years to discuss the news. That course was the reason I moved to London in 2014 and the experience shaped my introduction to the city and the professional comedy world. I was 23 and just out of university. It’s actually been quite scary to think how much time has passed and how different I might or might not be or how much things have or have not worked out.

My intention with this post was to write an update on all the great projects I’d worked on this month but I think there’s only so much reflection I can handle. Perhaps that’s why I procrastinated from writing a Substack in March.

What I can say is that every single one of those projects has come from or been aided by unexpected past connections and have led to surprising new endeavours. So I guess my own advice stands true. And if I haven’t said it recently, thank you for your support and I appreciate your work.

X

This time last year I was preparing for the end of the world. After spending longer than I had on any other solo show (almost 2 years), I had decided to say goodbye to Picnic. It’s quite a strange feeling saying goodbye to a show. There’s a huge sense of relief but also a very private grief.

January/February had been an intense period of preparation for Soho Theatre and Leicester Comedy Festival. Those two venues meant so much to me and I wanted the final send offs to be perfect. I had to buy new props and set pieces, rewrite pieces (again), organise new tech, marketing etc. There was a real stress to wring out every last opportunity I could before it was gone. It was particularly sad giving away props. Although I still have a large doorless dog cage. Someone please take it.

A year on and I feel confident it was the right choice. I couldn’t imagine still doing Picnic now. As with all of my solo shows, I very much feel they are relevant to me and the audience at that time. The world moves on and so do I. That said, a lot of last year felt painfully slow. As I mentioned in my last blog, there is a momentum and a feeling of control when creating a solo show. You’re not waiting on someone else’s approval. You might get rejected by a lot of outside people (reviewers, venues, producers) but ultimately the creative decisions are all yours.

While I’m very pleased to say that there are a few big projects finally brewing, the prospect of returning to Leicester Comedy Festival to do a work-in-progress is very exciting. I must admit, I haven’t done much work on it as these other projects have taken priority and I don’t plan to progress it to Edinburgh or any other festival either. And that’s actually what I’m so happy about. Limitations can be integral for creating work but sometimes they really can just be limitations. After a year of writing to other people’s briefs, it’s nice to have a blank page.

I wrote over two hours of material for Picnic. A lot of it got cut not necessarily because it wasn’t as good as what went in but because it didn’t fit the show thematically/time-wise/space-wise. My original intention was to use this WIP as a way to air out some of that material. However, I’ve decided that I want to push myself a bit further and do some even newer, completely untested material and… not do any characters. Or at least not in the way I have been doing.

The first reason for this is that I honestly cannot be arsed carrying suitcases of props and puppets anymore. I don’t have space. Please, someone, take the dog cage.

The second reason is I want to challenge myself. I’m not saying I’ve moved on from character comedy - far from it - but I’m curious how much I can do in my own voice. The truth is I love stand-up. When I was teenager living in Edinburgh I used to go see lots of it and all through uni, despite being in an improv and sketch group, I was far too scared to do it. Even after moving to London when I was getting professional comedy writing/performing work, I didn’t try “proper” stand-up until about 2018/19.

Last year however I did a few stand-up gigs at Monkey Barrel and really loved it. It was great to have the freedom to talk about anything without thinking about how it would fit around the characters in my show. So this time, I’m not doing characters. Well, maybe one. I still love them.

Of course I’ll also be up in Leicester performing “Millennium Bug” with Weirdos Comedy. I’m afraid I can’t tell you any more about that… because I’ve not seen the script.

So if you’re in Leicester the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of February please come see Weirdos on Saturday and my brand new, all new material, new new new stuff at Duffy’s, Sunday 23rd, 3.40pm.

Buy Tickets Here

If you are not in Leicester, then you can next see me at ACMS on 10th March. AND you can also sign up for the following courses:

Character Comedy Course starting NEXT WEEK

Improv for Business and Wellbeing starting in April

Improv Rules and How To Break Them starting in April (Equity discount 20%)

Last year I declared that my word of intention was Nurture. The concept of choosing a word for the year was introduced to me by comedian Joz Norris and I really recommend it if you find new year’s resolutions (and their inevitable failure) overwhelming.

2023 had been a mad, fast, turbulent year. It was the year I took Picnic (as well as Super) to the Edinburgh Fringe while teaching and being homeless for several months. I do not recommend developing a prop heavy show when you are living out of a suitcase.

After a year of gigging, competing and constantly moving I needed a year to take stock. However, I also knew that I would find the stillness uneasy. My 2024 quest for Nurture didn’t really start until the end of February, when I had given Picnic its final farewell at LCF and Soho Theatre.

The silence came with a thump.

One of the big reasons I like making solo shows is because it at least feels like something is happening. You’re not waiting on someone else giving you a job, you can book a room and make it happen yourself.

So in the spirit of Nurture, I explored a whole bunch of things I was curious about. Here are a few:

• Went to a school for Alexander Technique where I let the students “lay hands” on me until I felt like a tipsy octopus

• A thing I think is called Spinal Networking

• A private lesson on mime with David Hoskin

• Singing lessons with Chiara Goldsmith

• Life drawing class (drawing not modelling)

• Vietnamese cooking class (on holiday but still counts)

• Completed The Artist’s Way (recommended to me by Olivia Rafferty)

• Saw a lot of theatre, music and art I might not otherwise have done

• Sound bath

• Astrology networking

• Performed with an Italian improv group

• Reached out to old mentors and people I admire for advice

I like to think I also spent a lot of time nurturing others. I had a number of coffee dates and zoom calls with people who I recognised as being in positions I’ve been in before and felt I could help. I realised I was more knowledgable and experienced than I thought.

This became a theme in 2024. As well as continuing to teach at Hoopla, I was invited to teach workshops at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, mentor for the ACE funded I’m With Stupid and asked by a number of fellow comedians I love such as Christian Brighty (vote for his BBC sitcom!) to workshop their shows. I was honoured to be asked and thoroughly enjoyed doing it.

And so I started teaching my own improv and character comedy courses, which I’m finding hugely rewarding although at times challenging.

Another big part of 2024 was relaunching my Improv for Business business as Jollity Coaching. Within 6 months I had created a new website, with new headshots, legally trademarked the name, set up a business address, joined a women’s co-working space, set up courses and workshops, got four new clients and taught three training workshops. I’ve had other coaches reach out to me to collaborate and I’ve taken advantage of as many free consultations and networking events as I can.

I keep being reminded that that’s quite a lot of milestones in a short amount of time but in comparison to writing/performing/producing an Edinburgh show it felt like nothing. I don’t say that to sound nonchalant, I say it to clarify just how much work I’m used to doing as someone in the arts.

I don’t know if I can really count starting a business as Nurture but it was necessary for nurturing my future financial stability and goals.

So what about now? Nurture to me in 2024 meant getting to do new things without the pressure of it having to lead anywhere. Doing things purely out of curiosity and enjoyment. However, one attempt to nurture a skill taught me something very important about myself…

At the start of last year I went to a ballet class at Pineapple Studios. I used to be pretty good at dancing. For a long time it was quite a large part of my identity but I have not consistently attended a dance class since 2010 when I randomly joined a modern dance troupe in Venice. (A story for another day.)

It wasn’t out of laziness. Between gigs, touring and money issues it was just impossible most of the time. Post-pandemic the thought of sweating with a bunch of strangers in a basement felt even more dangerous than performing comedy to a bunch of stranger in a basement. So I was already feeling vulnerable as I walked in.

The room was packed with musical theatre professionals stretching, the teacher was wearing a headset, one guy sneered at me like I was a used plaster on the changing room floow when I asked if this was the right class. There was zero space at the barre and the slither I tried to slot myself into I was promptly told was “taken”. I left before a panic attack forced me to. I was ashamed: what a waste of time and money.

I went to two or three low key classes over the year but nothing since September. I got a beautiful leotard for Christmas 2023 that I still haven’t worn because I don’t feel…deserving? (That’s a bit nuts, right?)

But I know if I don’t go back now I never will.

So two weeks ago I picked a midday class at Dance Works (a much less narcissistic space) which was being subbed by a dance teacher I used to like before the pandemic. His name is Adam Pudney and he’s a beautiful dancer who teachers really interesting and original choreography. Choreography that I can no longer do. Not only is my body too slow but my brain is too. I heard his pleads to hold balances longer, bend deeper and jump higher but I couldn’t do it.

(David Hoskins literally giving me a whirlwind intro to mime)

You see, a year of what I called “Nurture” taught me that I love trying new things even if I’m bad at them. But what I can’t abide is realising I’ve gotten bad at things I used to do well. I’m bad at accepting the milestones I’ve made when I want to be progressing. I’m bad at accepting when I’ve done all I can and I just have to relax and see. I like to be busy. I spent a lot of last year banging my head against a wall trying to get something to work when I really should have accepted the situation was out of my hands and moved on.

I thought about making this year’s word “Acceptance” but I’ve decided that “Embrace” is more positive.

I need to embrace that I am not the size, strength, speed I used to be. I need to take on the advice and slowly build back up. I need to embrace that some jobs aren’t coming my way or some pitches won’t get picked up. It doesn’t mean they’re bad or I need to do more, they’re just not right.

I always hated the old Scottish granny saying of “what’s for ye won’t go passed ye” but perhaps it’s time I faced that. Embrace the stage I’m at and the messages I’m being sent.

So here’s to 2025 and the word Embrace.