Why I chose to study MA Comedy Writing (Online)

This article was written by Comedy Writing MA (Online) student, Alexander. 

Why I chose to study this course

I’ve been a stand-up comedian and comic actor for over a decade. The opportunity to closely study the art of narrative comedy writing under BBC producer, Simon Nicholls, while being tutored by working screenwriters, was hugely appealing. I also have a friend who did the MA and has broken into the industry. Jade Gebbie is a comic I’d gigged with back in New Zealand, and while working on her MA, she earned a place as a BBC Studios Contract Writer. Now I had to sign up! 

My experience on the degree

The MA Comedy Writing (Online) programme builds your skills at a steady rate. Across four taught modules and a supervised final major project, I learned how to structure and write a short film; how to work in a writers room for a new sketch show; the process for creating and writing sample scenes for a new sitcom; how to write a pitch document; and, finally, how to write two full episodes of a new half-hour comedy. 

As well as hands-on writing experience, there’s also the odd short academic essay. These were either reflections on my own creative process and how I could improve on future projects, or case studies of industry writers working in similar areas. These deep dives were incredibly useful. They helped pinpoint problems in my own work, and techniques other writers use that I could adopt in my own creative process. 

There were one-on-one tutorials twice per module. I handed in a sample of my work, along with questions I had for the tutor. We’d discuss these in depth over half an hour. This personal touch helped make the degree feel as welcoming as an in-person course. It also meant any potential issues could be addressed early. Arriving prepared and putting in the work led to graduating with a distinction endorsement.

I was lucky to work with Andy Dillon, who supervised my final major project (the two 30-minute scripts for a new show). A working screenwriter and gifted tutor, Andy offered clear guidance, a keen eye for the humour of any given scenario, and an expert focus on areas where I could improve. You can sense Andy’s desire to push his students to reach their potential. The difference in my visual comedy writing really shows, and that’s down to Andy pushing for excellence.

Tutors would often hold group sessions once a week, where students who had assignments coming up could drop by; commiserate on the word count they had to meet; then exchange tips, tricks, and feedback on each others’ work. You’ll see in the section below that working with other students was a highlight of the degree.

Collaboration with peers

My work alongside other students began almost immediately. I don’t mind working alone normally, but comedy writers need feedback. Submitting work weekly to the online learning platform and getting regular feedback from peers was enormously helpful. 

There was great diversity of perspectives among my peer group. We were aged from 20s - 60s; some were retirees and others were young working parents; many of us were based in the UK, while others were as far away as Australia and the Caribbean. Some had multiple postgraduate degrees. For others, it was their first time at university. 

This meant that I was able to see my work from multiple different viewpoints. The written feedback was supportive and constructive. Very quickly, I found the students who best understood my own comedic instincts (I love tragicomedy, myself) - and these were the ones who attended table reads of my work prior to submitting assessments. 

A real sense of camaraderie built during the sketch show module. Students were put in groups of four, and together, they created a brand new sketch show; from theme and title, right through to recurring characters and sample sketches. Later in the year, some of the students from my group attended my online stand-up comedy gigs. One of them set up a regular table reads group. We were peers and colleagues that became good mates.