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. WHY YOU'll LOVE THIS COURSE Spend five focused days finding your comic voice, shaping original material and building the confidence to step onto the stage with a set of your own.. Build confidence performing comedy in a focused, supportive environment Develop your own original stand-up material across one intensive week Learn how to turn stories, observations and ideas into structured comedy Strengthen your stage presence, timing and delivery Explore different comedy styles to expand your creative range Gain practical tools for writing, editing and improving jokes Build confidence reacting to unexpected moments and audience interaction Work towards performing your own stand-up set Stand-Up Set Writing Write and structure your own stand-up set, shaping ideas into material that is ready for performance. Joke Writing Technique Learn practical joke writing techniques designed to improve your gag rate and help land consistent laughs. Storytelling and Anecdotes Use storytelling and personal anecdotes to connect with your audience and bring more personality to your material. Character Comedy Develop character comedy and create engaging comic personas that add variety and originality to your set. Improvisation Skills Practise improvisation to help you react to unexpected moments, audience responses and live performance energy. Comedy Styles Explore varied comedy styles, including political satire, musical comedy and set pieces. Performance Technique Build confidence with timing, delivery, stage presence and the practical demands of live stand-up. Material Development Test, refine and strengthen your material across the week with guidance, feedback and rehearsal. Final Performance Bring your work together by performing your own stand-up set, applying everything you have developed during the course. Classes Starting Soon Date Day Time (BST) Duration Tutor Venue Price Booking 12 Oct 2026 - 16 Oct 2026 Mon 10:00-16:30 5 days (Monday - Friday) Kate Smurthwaite City Academy, Farringdon £505.75 15% OFF Book Now 12 Oct 12 Oct 2026 - 16 Oct 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 View All Classes × Select your Entry Level: -Select- Leader Follower Book Now Close Stand up Comedy Intensive Example Schedule Over the 5 days you will take part in a variety of workshops including: 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. Your 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. Want to learn more? Five days is just the beginning. Keep your momentum going with our stand-up comedy, comedy writing and improvisation courses, where you'll continue developing new material, refine your performance style and grow your confidence on stage. Stand Up Comedy – Improvers with Public Gig Acting Foundation Course – 5 Days Improvisation Classes 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 12 Oct 2026 - 16 Oct 2026 Mon 10:00-16:30 5 days (Monday - Friday) Kate Smurthwaite City Academy, Farringdon £505.75 15% OFF Book Now 12 Oct 12 Oct 2026 - 16 Oct 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 × 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 places on the same 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
