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 Experience five days and write, refine, and perform your own set. 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 with crowd work and reacting to unexpected moments 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 07 Dec 2026 - 11 Dec 2026 Mon 10:00-16:30 5 days (Monday - Friday) Comedy Tutors City Academy, Farringdon £595.00 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 07 Dec 07 Dec 2026 - 11 Dec 2026 £595.00 Day:Mon Time:10:00-16:30 Duration:5 days (Monday - Friday) Tutor: Comedy Tutors Venue: City Academy, Farringdon 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 various joke-writing techniques, including classic setups with punchlines, clever one-liners, and observational humour. Experiment with both structured approaches and free-form writing to spark your creativity. You’ll begin crafting your first batch of original material and share your work 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. We'll look at 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 also work on your stagecraft, which is vital for a strong performance. This will include 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. We’ll also 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 SmurthwaiteComedy Tutors 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 07 Dec 2026 - 11 Dec 2026 Mon 10:00-16:30 5 days (Monday - Friday) Comedy Tutors City Academy, Farringdon £595.00 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 07 Dec 07 Dec 2026 - 11 Dec 2026 £595.00 Day:Mon Time:10:00-16:30 Duration:5 days (Monday - Friday) Tutor: Comedy Tutors 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 * Payments options Cancellations Policy Our cancellation policy depends on the course you have booked. Weekly courses and one-day workshopsCancel at least 72 hours before your course starts to receive a full refund, course credit or a free transfer to another available date. Cancellations made within 72 hours will receive course credit instead. Intensive courses of five consecutive days or moreCancel at least 7 days before your course starts to receive a full refund, course credit or a free transfer. Cancellations made with less than 7 days’ notice will usually receive course credit instead. We are unable to offer refunds for missed classes or non-attendance. View terms and conditions Book 2 courses at the same time for 10% Off* Copy code to clipboard Book 3 or more courses for get 20% Off* Copy code to clipboard *Please note 2ORMORE & 3ORMORE - this offer cannot be redeemed against our One year, 3 Month Courses , Private tuition, Tasters, or Resident Companies i.e. Choirs, Musical Theatre or Dance companies. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. City Academy, Farringdon City Academy, Farringdon Closest Station: Farringdon Closest Bus Stop: Hatton Garden View Details Get Directions Kate Smurthwaite View Profile Comedy Tutors View Profile
