Paul Burke

My terrible evening on a stand-up comedy course

Every person there lacked a sense of humour

  • From Spectator Life

A few years ago, I abandoned a five-year counselling course after just 40 minutes. Apparently, I couldn’t have a refund from the community college but could transfer to another course. I may have a writer’s fascination with finding things out but I have a strange aversion to being taught. Looking at the long list of courses available to me, all I could see were things I didn’t want to be taught.

Computerised Accounts and Book Keeping, Burlesque Dancing and The Art of the Burgundian Netherlands. I wasn’t looking for a hobby and there was barely anything on that list that came close to piquing my interest. 

A more unprepossessing bunch of human specimens would be hard to imagine

There was, however, one course that caught my attention: Stand-Up Comedy. I’ve never had the slightest desire to be a stand-up. Having been to hundreds of comedy gigs, I absolutely know that it’s something I could never do; just like watching hundreds of football matches means I absolutely know I could never be a Premier League striker.

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