The London Comedy Course
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16 years ago
I've just completed the course and did my showcase at Up The Creek last night! It was amazing.. such a good group of people and I can't believe that in 6 weeks I went from having no clue as to what I wanted to do or say to having a polished (just under!) 5 minute set! The tutor is great and is really honest about what works and what doesn't which I love... and the other students were really supportive! Up The Creek is a great venue to do your first performance in! I would highly recommend this course to anyone! Do it! Do it! Do it now! read more
10 years ago
I finished the 5 week course in early February and was driven to choose this one over others because of the glowing reviews - here is mine. Harry is a great teacher; we were shown a myriad of ways to gather material. He is knowledgeable and generous when it comes to helping you with your set. He is also very honest - which I respected and admired. This also means that when he laughs you know it is real! I bombed in class a few times but it was with such a great group that it was ok. Don't be afraid to bomb! Harry won't let you perform unless he thinks you are ready. There is homework and I really encourage you to do it - you will just get more out of the course. There were 5 of us in the group fro different backgrounds and we all performed very different sets. This is a testament to Harry letting us find our style and boosting our confidence to really own the stage. I had a group of friends come to watch the showcase (which was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating) and they were really impressed by the standard of everyone. I have already encouraged 2 friends to give it a go and I hope that you will too. Quick recap: PROS: Well worth the money Easy enough to get to Great pace for learning You feel supported Harry knows his stuff and explains things really well You are encouraged to go beyond the course and start on the circuit CONS: Monday night can be tricky (but still worth it!) Thanks again Harry! read more
16 years ago
I did the course back in May 2010, then went on to do the advanced course which involves MC training, I am now running my own comedy club with great success! Highly recommended. read more
11 years ago
I did the comedy course and would be unable to recommend it to other wannabe comedians. I wish I had read the reviews before i booked this.
11 years ago
I did the comedy course earlier in 2015 and did not return for the second day. It's like being taught by Jeckyll and Hyde. I was told off more in one day than my entire time at high school, for things that the tutor asked us to do. It's just as well there is no showcase on this course and you will have about ten seconds of material and zero confidence. Previous review said not for the faint hearted, what an understatement. I am a placid guy and easy going, but this tutor is deliberately passive aggressive. Basically, you as a student are useless, not funny and will never make it as a stand up comedian, and he as the tutor is awesome. read more
11 years ago
I just did the two day comedy course at the London theatre and it was the biggest waste of money I have ever been on. What a bluffer. I was so annoyed that I had booked this course. The tutor was very aggressive, prickly and confrontational. He was asking us to do things then getting annoyed with us when we did exactly what he had just asked us. We were'nt sure if this was a test or if he had lost the plot. There seemed to be real hostility toward the students. Some of the woman found the tutor a bit creepy especially the bit where they had do the pre course work of standing in front a mirror naked at home and to say what they saw in front the other students in the class. Everyone's material was rubbish and only became funny when edited by the tutor. When I say editing he changed one word and it was the best material that was ever created and Harry took the credit for it. I didn't go back on the second day and it turned out that none of the three other students did either. Mmmmm ... I wonder why? The venue is a dingy basement of a former house in New Cross, although most of the day is spent in a greasy spoon cafe on Deptford High Road watching Harry eat copius amounts of food. The course content is non existent and he is making it up as he goes along. We learnt nothing and the whole time was spent trying to put people off trying out on the open mic circiut. I was so deflated after the first day. The students went for a cheeky drink after the first day and we all agreed that all the negativty got to us. We couldn't believe that we paid £130 for this - we were well and truly rinsed. I had already done a two day comedy course and the difference was immense. The other course had a feel good factor, we were encouraged, we bonded, we laughed, we did lots of comedy exercises, we did a real showcase with paying guests at a proper comdey club. I was on a high for weeks. On this course it was all negative. Our material was not funny, all the top comedians on the TV were crap, other tutors of the other comdey courses were rubbish and even the promoters and comedy clubs were useless according to the tutor. We watched Harry on youtube and his act is very dated with lots of old jokes and he had the gall to criticise our material. Comedy has changed, it is more sophisicated and the delboy school of comedy was funny back in the 90s. I feel that Harry is jaded from being in the comedy business for so long and has no real interest in teaching. He certainly doesn't understand what teaching is - to enpart knowledge to paying students. There was a real hard sell for us to bring along as many friends as possible as paying guests to the so called showcase, which I later found out wasn't actually at the up the creek as advertised. The homemade website should've have given me the clues to the quality of the course that i needed. There are never enough students on this course and many that start it leave as soon as they can. I gave it five stars as it doesn't sho up on the reviews otherwise. Give this course a swerve, there are much better courses out there. read more
More info about The London Comedy Course
Lower Space
443 New Cross Road
London SE14 6TA
United Kingdom
New Cross, Deptford
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020 8694 1888
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http://www.londoncomedycourse.com
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Yes, The London Comedy Course serves alcohol.
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Yes, The London Comedy Course has parking options. Street Parking
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Yes, The London Comedy Course allows outdoor smoking.
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14 years ago
If only I had known about this review site before starting my comedy career I would not have wasted over £400 on a comedy course where everything I said or did I was told was funny, only in the real world once finished, got no laughs! Nine gigs later and on the advice of comics on the circuit I have now just done a 2 day course with The London Comedy Course for only £65 which within the first 20 mins showed up all the faults of the other course. Best way to describe how good this course is would be to mention a respected comedy club in London called The Cavendish Arms in Stockwell, where most new acts play and there is a competition for the best act per night. I have been there twice and each time, the competition has been won by ex students from this course and their main yearly comp has also been won by an ex student. Back to the comedy course and Harry, the tutor. When you meet him, everything you have read in other reviews on here is true. He is straight down the line, honest, blunt, well informed and he will push you to get the best out of you. He will praise you but unlike the other course I went on where you could do no wrong, here when something isn't funny, you get told it isn't but then you look at ways it can be or just told to dump it. There was six on the course and aimed at comics who had some previous experience and it was hard to be told that the five minutes you had been performing in the past was actually 1 minute of comedy and 4 minutes of talking. However, no matter how hard to take, it was the truth and a reality check. He knows the circuit inside out and here is something you should do, I didn't with the first course. Check at what level in the comedy world the tutors are at. Harry is a proper headline circuit comic playing major comedy clubs such as Jongluers and a proven track record. I researched him on 'You Tube' put in 'Harry Denford' and on stage he is scary and very funny and plays a cockney geezer, but in real life it is like meeting another person, nothing like the stage Harry. We lost a student at the first tea break whom had spent most of the first hour correcting Harry about what a new comic should be doing and then who went on to demonstrate that they couldn't even hold a mic in the correct fashion which again in their opinion wasn't important and a bit basic for someone out on the circuit who just wanted to restructure some material. None of us could actually hold a mic correctly and two of us who had been trained had never been shown this in the past and it was a real eye opener and only later did we realise that we were being taught the same lessons as they teach for beginners as it was going to be right back to the drawing board and get rid of bad habits and mistakes. After two days, I had 3 minutes of funny material, which was tight and one routine which lasted previously for 2 minutes was now a 20 second joke. In fact it was the same and only joke in the previous 2 minute routine, It just took someone to tell me the truth and make me change the routine. You don't actually get to do the showcase with this course and I think I would have now liked to have paid the extra and done the Up The Creek showcase which is done with their beginners course. The teaching method is effective and the courses they run are aimed at those wanting to take it up as a profession or be a semi pro. I would not advise this course for anyone who is doing it for a bit of fun or who just wants to 'wing it' as a massive reality check will hit you within minutes of stating this course. Good points:- The tutor The structure The classroom which has full lights and sound and is used as a comedy club The honest feedback The price The location of the training centre Bad points: It is run as a professional comedy training centre not a social club, so no real getting to know the other students or tutor down the pub. They have a MC Course which you can't attend unless they say you are allowed on it, despite doing the beginners course. There is always a waiting list to get on a course, either they should allow more students per course or extend the number of courses they run. read more
11 years ago
The homemade website should have been my first clue to how unprofessional this course was! I have completed three previous stand up comedy courses (with professional looking websites) in London (to build my confidence) and this one was the worst by a long way. I would not recommend this to anyone. If there was a governing body for stand up comedy, I would report this course to them. It was rubbish. There was no structure, no lesson plan, no tips and techniques, no exercises to generate material, no feel good factor to the course. It seemed to be made up as we went along as we sat in a badly lit dingy basement. It was a bit too chatty. The other comedy courses had structure, we did exercises to generate material, we had fun, we performed in front of an audience, we took short breaks where we bonded as a group, we had a supportive and safe environment to learn in and try out our material. The tutors of the other classes were keen to teach us. The other courses were enjoyable and I was sad when the other ones ended. I found the tutor on the London comedy course in new cross to be mean, for no other reason than to be mean. There was no softness or kindness. Harry would ask the class to do something and when we did it he had a pop at us as if we were fools. The students would look at each other with raised eyebrows and be nudging each other. I wanted to shout out at the top of my voice - are you serious?? You just asked us to do that!!! This happened more than once. There was no constructive feedback, no positive encouragement. I mean, we're were all newbies and were paying a lot of money to learn about stand up comedy from a professional. The feedback was always negative (Very negative) I didn't go back after the first day and later found out that most of the other pupils didn't either. If there had been a tea break or a proper lunch break I would have left sooner. I felt relieved that I didn't have to go through that again even if it meant losing money. I am so glad that I found this review site. I have spoken to others who attended the course and they had similar experiences. The venue is awful, (To call it a theatre is a bit misleading) the café in Deptford High street (where we sat for two hours) is marginally better and the course content is non existent. As a female, I found the tutor to be a bit creepy. For pre-course homework Harry had us stand naked in front of a mirror and make notes. We had to talk about what we saw in front of that mirror ten minutes after the course started in front of the other members of the class. This was another opportunity for Harry to be mean to the students. He criticised each student in turn - You're fat, you've got a big nose, you're not attractive, you've got a double chin, you're flat chested, you look gay, you're going bald, you've got really bad skin etc etc. Harry has been on the comedy circuit for years but I got the impression that he is jaded from it. He has no interested in it. He probably feels angry that he has spent the last twenty years of his life traveling up and down the country with his five minute comedy routine that contains loads of old jokes and isn't even remotely funny. Comedy has moved on from this sort of comedy. Harry didn't have a good word to say about the comedy bookers, the comedy clubs that he works for, the tutors of other comedy courses or even the other comedians - even the famous comedians on the TV that he knew personally. His passion has gone and he was bitchy toward the industry as a whole. A fellow student on one of the comedy forums told me that Harry is more interested in getting all the students to bring ALL their friends, colleagues and family members along as paying guests to the showcase as it's his "Theatre". To put it another way, the course is not about teaching people comedy, it's to get new comedians to do a showcase and for Harry to make lots of money on the ticket sales to their friends at his own Theatre. Btw, my confidence is still intact as I had the intelligence to leave this course early. I cannot recommend this course. read more
15 years ago
Do this course just to experience the tutor. In six weeks Harry will take you apart and rebuild you on and off stage with brutal honesty and a real sense that he wants you to do well and not fail. Nothing gets past him, if something is shit, you get told it's shit, joke doesn't work, he gets it to work. He is as honest about himself as he is of the students, and see him perform and you will understand everything he teaches in class, he does on stage. He should bottle the teaching style and sell it to very school in the land. Think of your best teacher at school and that is the same feeling you get with him, you want to please him, he commands order without losing temper and praises you at the oddest moments which really boosts your confidence. In week one for example, a student was acting up and being a bit of a knob as he had already done some comedy gigs, Harry gave him these words of wisdom as best as I can remember or words thereabouts. '''On stage you think, what you are doing is funny, clever and trying and so failing to be the class clown. What we, as a class are seeing however is just a wa*k%r. My job is to stop you looking a tit and an embarrassment and maybe help you gain more friends and not alienate yourself in these awkward social situations. Sit down there and we will start again, forget about this and all take a fresh look at you, and I will find and hopefully like the real you or walk out that door now and feel free to brag to everyone that the course, all of us and the teacher are all tossers and it is all shit, but we know the truth. It will be a waste as there are elements in your performance I really like, let me get them working to your favour and if in six weeks you are still acting like a nob, and still not liked by anyone here, I will give you your money back , does that sound fair?.'' He took the easy way out and never came back in week two. The course is connected with Gordon Ramsey in some way and they run special competitions for ex students connected with him. Love to see Harry and Gordon in an argument, Gordon shouting and swearing, Harry claim and cutting, not one of them will give in to the other not sure who'd win. Make great telly though. Typical Harry moment is when we were at our actual showcase at the end of the course, 10 mins before we all go on stage at 'Up The Creek' in front of 200 people , and we are should I say somewhat nervous. We get summoned to a meeting. We all gather, he walks in and says ' Soon you are on stage in front of 200 people, friends, family some important bookers. Don't Fuck Up, end of prep talk' and he walks off and that is so typical Harry, it made us laugh and relaxed us and once again he read us all and knew what to do. Lots of good reviews of the comedy course but it is him that should be the brand, not the course. Forget expensive life coaches, just spend some time with Harry. I miss the Monday nights now I have finished. Ps I got the laughs as expected by Harry at my showcase, thanks for believing in me and knowing what will work on stage. No more puns after our week two session I promise! Bloody DVD takes ages to arrive mine took three weeks after 'Up the Creek', but that is my only negative on a great course and tutor. read more
15 years ago
Booked a three hour private session @ £25 per hour with them as already doing stand up and I have been gigging for about a year. I never did any of their full courses, but my experience was as good as the previous reviews. I just did the individual teaching session and even on the initial phone enquiry found them to be very professional and the lady asked a number of questions about type of comedy I was doing and where I was playing. She then told me the tutor would call me back and he did and again gave great advice over the phone, in fact it was better advice then I had from another 'so called' comedy tutor found on the net who charged me £30 to meet me in a coffee shop (their choice) and we just spoke for an hour, with no chance to actually perform any of my stuff or if I did, it would be to a packed Costa Coffee venue which I had no intention of doing and I came away with nothing. It actually cost me £35 when I added the cost of my coffee and one for that tutor! The London Comedy Course is really in a different league, they have their own premises, have a simulated comedy club room with full stage, lights and sprung floor staging which I was the first student to try out. The classroom basically is set up as a little comedy club with a stage , mic, PA and chairs in four rows. The classroom is about 30ft by 20ft and they have three other rooms and a really nice venue which is 2 mins from New Cross BR. The AV's are good with wifi, CD and IPod connections and DVD and TV and are happy to allow you to video parts of your session (bring a connector to connect to their TV monitor so you can see yourself while on stage). You can also use their computer and printer. The first thing Harry the tutor did was give me a joke to perform in my own style to see what changes I would make to it and for him to start to form an opinion on my style. Odd as by letting me perform my set, he would also get the same result. I did it and suddenly accepted why he asked me to do the exercise as he asked me to treat it as a mini performance and include my greetings and my exits. From that simple task he had identified a number of problems which on reflection once pointed out were actually obvious mistakes I had been making. We spent next 5 minutes just looking at walking on and off stage and getting that right. He then let me do my set and identified that I over explain a joke, try and top a good gag with a gag which isn't as strong and have a tendency to tell a joke instead of performing it. He also identified that I show no connection with the audience as there is nothing in my set about me and at no stage do I look anywhere apart from ahead. On the one occasion I did perform the joke in my set it was after first telling the joke, so the performance aspect would have been lost. I had been in the classroom for 15 minutes and already I had been given a full breakdown of my set and areas to work on. Highly recommended and also although I booked three hours, he said after and hour and a half that I didn't need the extra time so just charged me £30. I walked away with fresh ideas and a new structure and the changes actually work. read more
16 years ago
I have just done the London Comedy Course on their 2 day weekend course, not at their London base but at the farmhouse in Kent option they also offer. What a weekend! The course is great and as they only allow three students on these weekend courses, we got so much individual time. It is a real activity break and I have done a creative writing course before in France for twice the money and this course, although comedy and not creative writing so outshines it. The teacher Harry is amazing, you will love him, then hate him then love him again and then love him some more. He really knows how to get the best out of students and has a real passion and a keen eye for detail. I don't know how he does it, but he found a great comedy act based on what I had written and with subtle tweaks, made something mildly amusing (in my opinion) into something laugh out loud (the rest of the class opinion). We spend lots of time working on performance even being made to read some classical speeches but to make them as silly as possible via voice and movement. Every second in the classroom, you are doing something that will improve your comedy. The three of us had a little extra surprise for free as on the Sunday, we were asked if we would like a flight in the tutors plane which was parked nearby (the farmhouse backs onto Headcorn Aerodrome). We all said yes and we were taken on a little pleasure flight down to Leeds Castle and back and the lucky one in the front seat (not me unfortunatly) actually got a go at the controls. Harry the tutor was an airline pilot before becoming a comedian and one great thing is that as he is out there on the circuit performing he knows what works and what doesn't. The farmhouse is also really nice and it the little details which made this weekend fantastic like having dinner with the others and Lara, the gorgous host who served up a great dinner and as much free wine as we wanted. She is Russian and is well travelled and such a nice person. Dinner lasted 4 hours and we were still going strong when the tutor returned from doing a show in Dorset way after midnight, as we all just chatted and got more drunk. Lara is a great cook and to show us a little of her homeland made a great Russian Salad for lunch on the second day. Massive full English breakfast and also a little parcel of Russian sweets to take home with us. I have my showcase next month at 'Up the Creek' and really looking forward to it. Bringing a minibus of mates from Bristol to see me, so watch out London! £235 well spent. Excellent. read more
16 years ago
I did the London Comedy Course two day weekend comedy course last weekend and wow what a course and what a teacher. If you want a chance to prove just how funny you can be, you have to do this. If you want a confidence check and a wake up call, again do this course. Forget life coaches and expensive treatments, two days on this course and you have found a whole new you, simply amazing. For two days you are worked hard and although we were all beginners, they set the level high in everything we did, high not as hard but high as in standards and the tutor Harry is in a different league, nothing gets past him and he will push you, encourage you, advise you and more importantly show you what works in the routines you are creating. He also tells it as it is and if it isn't funny, take it that it isn't funny; as you will soon find out, but somehow out of nowhere in what he suggests, you suddenly have a direction to go down and what didn't work a few minutes ago, now starts to get a laugh. What was also nice was that the price included a night at a London hotel and was allowed to bring my wife for free who went of to a spa while I was doing this course. The price with hotel was £210 and without £145 which did send alarm bells ringing as I thought what sort of good quality hotel will they be forcing on us for the extra £65. What I found out afterwards is that they have group booking power and one of the owners Lara, a great lady is a director for a major London tour operator so we were put in a double room in a Mayfair hotel which would have cost £142 per night and it was great. What was really nice is that at the end of the first day, our tutor took the group and our partners to a great pub in Greenwich and we met Lara who looked after us after the tutor went off to do a comedy gig. She took us to a great noodle bar and the across to Up The Creek to see a pro comedy night at the reduced rate of £5 a ticket. I have my routine now ready for the Showcase night at Up The Creek on the 14th July. Looking forward to getting that over now. read more
15 years ago
I suspect that one of the main reasons that Manchester United have been so successful is that Sir Alex Ferguson kicks the shit out of his players. Now I wouldn't say that Harry runs the London Comedy Course like a boot-camp, but he doesn't pull any punches when it comes to impressing upon his students the standards required to deliver a stand-up performance worthy of the stage at the revered church known as Up The Creek. On Monday at the "dress rehearsal" shall we say, Harry told me that the new material I had written was not up to scratch and that he would not let me on stage. And this was crushing for me as I will explain later. So we had a "discussion" about the material I performed in class - he insisted that it work - I was not so sure that it would. Of course, the outcome was that Harry won (well there was never going to be any other winner - I did cop myself on at one point by asking myself the question: which one of us two has been performing stand-up all over the country, night-in night-out?). As long as I could, for want of a less cliched phrase, "get my act together" with the older material, it was possible I might rescue the situation. The following evening I am stood on the Up The Creek stage and a packed audience is showering me with the same laughter and affection that we gave to the likes of comedy heavyweights such as Harry Enfield, Jo Brand and the much loved and much missed genius, MC and former owner of the Creek and the ground-breaking Tunnel Club, Malcolm Hardee when I was sat in the crowd. What was really impressive was the technical standards displayed by all of the acts. I have seen many open mic nights and course showcases, that looking back now, most of those acts would have failed Harry's tests. And I will be back in the crowd again, because more than a few of those acts last night performed so well and had some fascinating ideas and takes on life that I would get real value for my entrance fee. read more
16 years ago
This course has changed my life!! I did the London Comedy Course, 2 day weekend stand up course with Harry Denford and it has really opened up a creativity that I thought I had lost. Since finishing the course, I have won a competition and performed in HK, Melbourne, Sydney & Singapore. I did the international gigs whilst on holiday as the course inspired me to just "give it a go" and I sent my showcase clip out for a laugh and got great feedback and was booked for gigs in every location - and I learnt so much from performing in so many different places and have been told by every venue that I could have a spot anytime I am back! This has increased my confidence and I couldnt have done it without Harry. Harry is an amazing teacher and director - he really helps you to find the performer within you, and will be brutally honest if what you are doing isn't funny and help you find the humour in what you are trying to present. So don't be scared that you're "not funny", or that "its difficult" or any other doubts you may have - just do it! You will thank yourself for it afterwards! Harry is extremely supportive and wont let you perform anything that isn't good - hence the high standard of performers that graduate from his courses. Its inspiring to see how good the new comedians are that come from his course - most have never done it before and this talent has been drawn out and nurtured throughout the course. Another aspect of the course that I have appreciated, is the community Harry builds, introducing comics to each other and I feel that due to this I have made so many, very supportive friends in the industry already which inspires me to keep on with it. I am proud of what I have achieved in the past 6 weeks since doing the course and feel it was time and money well spent and I look forward to doing more! read more
17 years ago
Basically one of the cheapest of the various comedy courses in London, odd as it does offer more then the others with training from well known working comics, the final showcase in a major comedy club and many industry agents and promotors at they final showcases. Downside is that the tutor pulls no punches which may not to every's idea of the friendly tutor, but he is fair, full of information and knows the circuit and actually very supportive, and boy do you work hard over the six weeks (Monday eves). This is aimed at people wanting to go into the profession and although aimed at the beginner as stated in their course information, the standard expected is very high by the end of the course and great to see the progression from beginner to a fine tuned performance set. It is hard if you miss a week. Good points can also that the tutor pulls no punches, everyone gets lots of stage time each week, small classes of no more then 12 and they teach the importance of performance as much as joke writing. You will; just like me, start at week 1 with no experience on stage or how to write a joke and come out at week six with a well crafted set lasting 5 minutes of material which is self genertated but you didn't know you had in your mind at the start. Location is easy to get to as it is next to Greenwich BR. Lots of homework, but the final results were impressive read more
11 years ago
Harry Denford's comedy course is a complete waste of money. Previous reviewers said that Harry was Blunt! Rude would be a better word. They said the course is not for the faint hearted. That's because the teaching style is very confrontational. There is no support - its actually quite aggressive!! The course and subsequent so called showcase is held in a small basement room of a house painted in black with no windows in New Cross. However, Much of the course is spent in a greasy spoon café in Deptford watching Harry eat enough food to feed a small army. Harry is quite prickly and is very quick to highlight your shortcomings, especially the ones that have no relation to stand up comedy. Harry has no idea of how to teach others and his main objective seems to put as many people off a career in comedy as possible. I found Harry's arrogance to be offensive. What you leant on this course could have be taught in about five minutes. The environment on the course is very negative. Basically, if Harry does it or says it, it is brilliant. If anyone else does it or says something, it's crap. Lots of pupils start the course and don't return after day one. There has to be more professional comedy courses out there. I would give this one a swerve. read more
14 years ago
I've just (May 2012) finished the London Comedy Course it is brilliant. Harry Denford is an excellent teacher, encouraging and supportive but also frank when he needs to be, which is what you need if you're going to deliver a good performance at the Showcase at the end of your course. Everyone who took part was able to deliver a coherent and funny set at the comedy club in the end, and that's down to Harry's excellent coaching. One thing that sets this apart at the end of the course you get an hour long one-to-one session with Harry to polish up your act, it really makes a difference. The course is hosted in a small theatre in New Cross, which replicates most comedy clubs complete with proper lighting, mic etc. so you develop useful stage skills from day one. Harry is a professional comic and his advice on how the comedy circuit works and how to launch yourself into comedy as a career is really useful. So, if you want to study comedy, do this course; it's good value, good fun and very professional. The best recommendation though is that just two days after the course ended most of the class are trying to get more gigs, we've got the bug and Harry's given us the skills and the knowledge to enable us to take the next crucial steps. read more
15 years ago
Did the taster session at the weekend which was a 3 hour class and had it booked as a gift from b/f. Not my first idea for a present and booked because I somehow said I liked stand up comedy, not thinking that meant he would then book me on a course to try it. I must say, it was a really fun session and lots of it was spent working on the performance stagecraft behind the mic and you really do see how the pro's do it and make it look easy. It's not, trust me and it took me a few goes to get the mic and mic stand facing the same way once I finished talking. The tutor was really good and although it was just a taster session, he expected and got high standards out of all of us (12 in the group). I don't want to be a stand up so happy just doing this but I think they need to expand, they have their own training centre so not that they don't have the room and they need to look at operating either larger groups or offer more dates as those that wanted to go on to do one of their main courses, were told that the next course with space is 3 months away. They could be losing business as I think after the session many got the comedy bug and maybe they will go to sign up for other comedy courses instead around London where they have spaces. read more
17 years ago
Really enjoyed my time during this course. It was a real rollercoaster of emotions, but thats what comedy is. Its a 6 week course run on Monday night, each session is 3hrs long with 12 students and one brilliant tutor. The tutor is an established comic and really knows his stuff. Course is a real eye opener - covers everything from stage presence, comic material, creating a persona and is finished off with a Showcase at Up The Creek in Greenwich! The best thing about the course is the honesty of the tutor - I stood up 1 week and delivered a rubbish 5 mins worth of drival and got told in no uncertain times - it just wasn't funny! But then it was explained to me, why it wasn't funny and with the help of the tutor and the group the material was re-structered into good material. The showcase finale was so much fun - my 5 (turned into 8mins) went down so well and my mates were well impressed. Since I finished the course I've done numerous other open spots and people are shocked that I'm so new to comedy as the course really sets you ahead of other new acts. The final thing I will say is - I actually miss my Monday nights with the tutor and the group... so much fun and I looked forward to every week. read more
17 years ago
Since finishing this course in December, I have performed at 24 gigs, and I'm still going strong! The course gave me the tools to construct a tight five minutes, funny set that suits my personality, and deliver it with confidence. I can honestly say, that I can see the difference in quality of material, against that of others on the circuit, who have not done the course. The best things about the course are: (1) the tutor pulls no punches - if your stuff's not funny, he'll tell you and will help you in restructure & performance (2) class feedback & support - each week you perform your set, the class gives you their suggestions and this helps you improve. The students in my group were fab in giving each other support and encouragement (3) the course covers stage presence and persona and makes you more aware of how you come across to the audience - so that you're able to be natural and engaging. I think it's great value for money read more
14 years ago
Just finished this course (June 2012) If you are thinking about doing an open mic or want to progress into being an established comedian then do this course! Harry is a teacher who knows exactly what he is talking about. If he tells you to drop a gag then drop it as if he says it doesn't work then it won't! Understanding how to structure your set from picking up the mic at the start to closing to applause Harry has all the answers. The 1-1 that this course offers also gives you 1-1 time with Harry to really get your act nailed believe me it makes a big difference. The big bonus is that at the end of your course, provided you have listened well and crafted your set, you get to perform at 'Up the Creek' in front of 200-300 people! Great atmosphere and despite being massively nervous the night went well, people had a great time and lots of laughs. Definitely want to do more open mic now! Thanks Harry. read more
15 years ago
I have just finished the 6 week London Comedy Course and can't recommend it highly enough. I initially did it to encourage a mate to go along who was always making us laugh but I got more and more into it as we went and absolutely loved the showcase night at Up the Creek (once I got on, the waiting is the scary bit!). I'm definitely going to carry on with it and after a few slots I may even do the MC course. Harry is a great teacher, sometimes you think you know better than him when he tells you something doesn't work but I warn you, you do not LISTEN to Harry, he knows what he's talking about. We had a great group and hopefully will all keep in touch. I think that even if I didn't want to pursue the gigging any further I would still recommend this course as I met some top people and had great fun. I'm going to miss my monday nights at The New Cross Theatre. Come on Harry, start an advanced course! read more
14 years ago
Harry Denford's 6 week London Comedy Course isn't for the faint hearted. If you want someone to tell you you're fabulous and funny, then this isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you want to genuinely learn about all aspects of stand-up then this is definately your guy. The course covers everything from performance techniques, character voice, mic handling and breaking the 4th wall to writing your gags and where to get inspiration for your material. The course finishes with a showcase night at Grenwich's famous Up the Creek comedy club, which on week 1 you'll find the idea of terrifying, but by week 6 you'll be gunning to get on stage. The week prior to the showcase you also get a 1 hour one-to-one with Harry to give your routine a final polish before your big night. If you're thinking about taking those first steps onto a comedy stage, I can't recommend Harry's course enough to you. read more
15 years ago
I undertook the 6 weeks London Stand up course run by Harry Denford, finishing in February 2012, and cannot rate it highly enough. The course finishes with you performing your stand up set at south London's famous 'Up the Creek' comedy club. Over the 6 week course Harry teaches you different methods of unlocking material and performance techniques, and every week you perform in front of the group (we started with 14 people, but finished with 12). Some reviews have said that Harry can be 'blunt', but this is essential. If you are doing something that isnt working it is best you find out in class, rather than on stage! Harry is always constructive with his feedback, and has a nack of suggesting good things for you to go away and try. As said at the beginning, I would thoroughly recommend Harry and his course. Thanks Harry. Alan read more
15 years ago
Just completed the intensive comedy course two days, twelve changes of underwear. The course is the equivalent of a rolercoaster ride through fire, on acid! Harry the tutor is the Voldermort of comedy scary, razor sharp and a master of his craft. All in all the two days rated 9.5 on the sphincter scale and was one of the best things I have done for a for a very long time. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, whether you want to get into the game and learn from the best, if you want to push your boundaries and see what you are capable of, or if you just want to have a laugh and learn some new skills that can be applied in lots of different situations. So glad I did the course and so grateful to Harry for his honesty, passion and expertise. read more
16 years ago
I really enjoyed the course and thought that Harry was an excellent tutor. In my first ever gig since the course I won the trophy at The Cavendish Arms, there were 26 comedians there taking part! The 3 main reasons why it is worth doing the course are: 1. You get straight down to business from the very first minute of doing the course with no mucking about. 2. The tutor is honest with everyone so you know what is working and what isn't. 3. He makes sure that you are disciplined and won't accept a laissez-faire attitude. There are also optional trips to go and see comedy being performed. I cycled to the course and they have a safe and secure bike rack so this is a great way to get there. Overall a great course! read more

























