Writing
The Misdirection in a One-Line Joke
The misdirection in a one-line joke turns a plausible setup with one final phrase, helping you spot the hidden…
The full line-up
All pieces
Browse pieces on the tools of comedy: how a line is built, a beat is timed, a character comes into focus and a performance makes the words sing.
Performance
Deadpan or Big Reaction: Two Ways to Play the Same Beat
Deadpan or big reaction changes a joke’s meaning without changing its words; learn how gaze, posture, breath and…
Characters
From Court Fool to Comedy Character
From court fool to comedy character, trace how a licensed outsider can speak freely, expose a story’s rules and give…
Satire
The Myth That Satire Must Pick a Side
Satire need not deliver a tidy verdict. Learn how to use ambiguity to expose contradictions while keeping the target…
Timing
A Comedy Double Bill for a Quiet Night In
Plan a comedy double bill for a quiet night in by pairing contrasting comic rhythms, so each selection has room to…
Our point of view
Every laugh has a little architecture
We enjoy the joke, then look at the choices beneath it: the expectation, the turn and the voice that gives it life.