Home›Comedy & stand up courses›Stand up comedy›Stand up Comedy Intensive – 5 days Stand up Comedy Intensive - 5 days BOOK NOW DETAILS BOOKING & TIMETABLE VENUES TUTORS Step into the spotlight and spend five unforgettable days exploring the art of stand-up comedy. If you’ve always wanted to try stand-up for the first time or you’re looking to sharpen your comedic skills, this intensive course gives you the tools, guidance, and stage time to unleash your comedic voice. Led by an experienced professional stand-up comedian, you’ll dive deep into joke writing, storytelling, improvisation, and performance techniques. You’ll learn how to command a room and create memorable material that’s uniquely yours, all while building confidence and having a lot of laughs along the way. The week culminates in a showcase performance at a central London venue, where you’ll debut your set in front of an invited audience of friends, family, and fellow comedy fans. What You'll Learn By the end of this 5-day comedy intensive, you will: Write and structure your own stand-up set for performance. Master joke writing techniques to boost your gag rate and land consistent laughs. Use storytelling and personal anecdotes to connect with your audience. Develop character comedy and create engaging comedic personas. Practise improvisation to react to unexpected moments and audience interactions. Explore varied comedic styles — political satire, musical comedy, set pieces. Build microphone and vocal technique for confident stage presence. Learn how to handle hecklers with ease and professionalism. Gain insider knowledge about how the comedy industry works and how to get gigs. BENEFITS OF TAKING THIS COURSE Stand-up comedy is one of the most exhilarating — and challenging — performance arts. On this course, you’ll: Build Unshakeable Stage Confidence: Get comfortable under the spotlight with guided rehearsal and live performance experience. Find Your Comedic Voice: Explore different styles to discover your unique angle on humour. Learn from an Industry Pro: Gain real-world advice from someone who knows the comedy circuit inside out. Perform to a Live Audience: Experience the thrill (and adrenaline) of making a room full of people laugh. Network with Like-Minded Creatives: Meet fellow budding comedians and potential collaborators. 🎓 COMMAND THE MIC Perfect your vocal projection and microphone handling for a professional stage presence. ⚙️ WRITE KILLER MATERIAL Structure jokes, sharpen punchlines, and create routines that keep audiences laughing. 🙂 PLAY WITH PERSONA Experiment with character and improvised comedy to add range and spontaneity to your act. 🔀 THINK ON YOUR FEET Learn to respond to hecklers, unexpected moments, and live audience energy. ✓ SHOWCASE YOUR TALENT Perform your new material in front of friends, family, and comedy lovers at a London venue. INTENSIVE 5-DAY EXAMPLE SCHEDULE Day One – The Building Blocks of Comedy Kick off the week by diving into the fundamentals of stand-up. You’ll explore different joke-writing techniques — from classic setups and punchlines to clever one-liners and observational humour. We’ll experiment with both structured approaches and free-form writing to spark creativity. You’ll begin crafting your first batch of original material and share it in a supportive environment, getting immediate feedback to shape your set. By the end of the day, you’ll have the foundations of your unique comedic voice. Day Two – Storytelling and Structure Great comedy often comes from great stories. Today, you’ll learn how to take personal anecdotes, true stories, and even everyday experiences and turn them into extended routines that keep an audience hooked from start to finish. You’ll work on pacing, timing, and building to strong punchlines, as well as finding the right emotional beats. We’ll also explore call-backs and running jokes to give your set cohesion and impact. Day Three – Characters and Improvisation This is where you start adding extra flavour to your act. You’ll explore the art of character comedy, building distinctive personas and experimenting with their quirks, rhythms, and viewpoints. We’ll also focus heavily on improvisation, giving you the skills to stay in the moment and respond to unexpected situations, whether that’s a surprise audience reaction or a topical reference that pops into your head mid-performance. These skills will make your act more dynamic, spontaneous, and memorable. Day Four – Comedy Styles and Performance Skills Today is about variety and versatility. You’ll try your hand at different comedic styles, from sharp political satire to musical comedy, surreal humour, and “set pieces” that give your performance a unique twist. We’ll work on stagecraft — voice projection, microphone technique, body language, and commanding the space. You’ll also begin your final showcase preparations, running through your material and tightening every beat for maximum impact. Day Five – The Showcase and Beyond The final day is all about rehearsal, refinement, and performance. You’ll fine-tune your set with one-on-one feedback before stepping into the spotlight for your evening showcase at a central London venue in front of friends, family, and comedy lovers. After the show, we’ll discuss practical steps for continuing your comedy journey, from finding open mics and booking gigs to networking, building an online presence, and navigating the UK comedy circuit. SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE The evening of the last day will see you and your fellow students perform your material in a central London venue. The showcase will be open to friends and family. USEFUL INFORMATION Do I need any stand-up experience? No. This course is suitable for beginners and those with some performance experience who want to develop their comedy skills. Will I get to perform? Yes! The course culminates in a showcase performance at a central London venue in front of an invited audience. What if I’m nervous? Nerves are natural! The course is designed to be supportive, helping you build confidence step by step through exercises and rehearsal. Will I get feedback on my material? Absolutely. You’ll receive constructive, personalised feedback throughout the course to help strengthen your set. What should I bring? A notebook, pen or pencil, and water. And of course, a willingness to try, play, and laugh. OTHER STUDENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN INTERESTED IN Whether it’s acting, improvisation, or comedy writing, these courses are a great next step to help you grow as a performer. Stand Up Comedy – Improvers with Public Gig Acting Foundation Course – 5 Days Improvisation Classes BACK TO ALL STNAD UP COMEDY COURSES Browse Courses You can filter Courses by month and tutor Month All Months Tutor All Tutors Kate Smurthwaite Date Day Time (BST) Duration Tutor Venue Price Booking 06 Jul 2026 - 10 Jul 2026 Mon 10:00-16:30 5 days (Monday - Friday) Kate Smurthwaite City Academy, Farringdon £505.75 15% OFF Book Now 12 Oct 2026 - 16 Oct 2026 Mon 10:00-16:30 5 days (Monday - Friday) Kate Smurthwaite City Academy, Farringdon £595.00 Book Now 06 Jul 06 Jul 2026 - 10 Jul 2026 £505.75 Day:Mon Time:10:00-16:30 Duration:5 days (Monday - Friday) Tutor: Kate Smurthwaite Venue: City Academy, Farringdon Offer:15% OFF BOOK NOW GIFT THIS COURSE 12 Oct 12 Oct 2026 - 16 Oct 2026 £595.00 Day:Mon Time:10:00-16:30 Duration:5 days (Monday - Friday) Tutor: Kate Smurthwaite Venue: City Academy, Farringdon BOOK NOW GIFT THIS COURSE × Select your Entry Level: -Select- Leader Follower Book Now Close ADD ME TO THE WAITING LIST If you'd like to be added to the waiting list for 'Stand up Comedy Intensive – 5 days' fill in the form below and we will contact you if a space becomes available. First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone Number * PAYMENT OPTIONS You are welcome to join the course up to the second class. ONLINE & PHONE PAYMENTS Online – To book your selected class/course online, just click Book Now next to your chosen class/course. Phone – We would be happy to take your booking over the phone, just call us on 020 7042 8833 . CASH & CHEQUE PAYMENTS Cash - You are welcome to pay cash, just come and see us at our office: City Academy, 10 Herbal Hill, London EC1R 5EG. If you book 2 or more different classes/courses at a time we can offer you a 10% discount. If you wish to take advantage of this offer please enter 2ORMORE in the promotional code box when booking online or quote code when booking over the phone. Please note that this offer cannot be applied when you are booking two or more of the same class/course. INDUSTRY TUTORS City Academy tutors are experienced artists and performers that work in the industry. If your tutor's availability changes at short notice, our team will arrange for a suitable replacement and notify you in advance. CANCELLATIONS POLICY We offer a full refund or full credit of your original course if you cancel at least 72 hours before the start of your booking. We cannot offer any refund if you cancel less than 72 hours before the start of your booking, or if you do not attend. (For more information please see our terms and conditions) City Academy, Farringdon Closest Station: Farringdon Closest Bus Stop: Hatton Garden View Details Get Directions All City Academy tutors are experienced professionals from theatre, film/TV and performance industries. So whilst they're training you they may also be rehearsing for a West End show or working on a movie. We like that and we do believe it makes a difference in class. Kate Smurthwaite View Profile
