A PLACE TO BEGIN
Start with the beginners course and work towards your first set, rather than trying to figure out every step on your own.
Beginners stand-up / Start stand-up / London Southbank
ALWAYS WANTED
TO TRY STAND-UP?
Start here.
You’ve watched the shows and thought about giving it a go. Take your first step with Big Belly’s beginners stand-up course on London’s Southbank.
- Learn at Big Belly — London’s best comedy venue
- An all-you-can-eat comedy pass during your course and for two weeks after, subject to availability
- A creative community to share ideas, collaborate and learn together — maximum 15 people per class
Planned courses. Booking opens once the final details are confirmed.
TRY IT. WATCH IT.A live night at Big Belly
Why start with Big Belly?
FROM THINKING ABOUT IT
TO TRYING IT.
IDEAS OF YOUR OWN
Explore your comic voice and try out material drawn from how you see the world.
A REAL COMEDY SETTING
Learn at Big Belly, watch professional acts and get to know the comedy community during your course.
Your starting point
BEGINNERS
STAND-UP.
Whichever reason brought you here, start with the same beginners course: explore your comic voice, try out ideas and work towards your first set.
Six weekly sessions + a showcase. Choose Sunday evenings with Erich or a Monday / Tuesday course with Ben. Dates, prices and exact times will be confirmed before booking opens.
01Start here
BEGINNERS
STAND-UP
Work towards your first set.
- For
- People new to stand-up
- Focus
- Finding your comic voice and trying out ideas
- Format
- One session a week for six weeks + showcase event
- When
- Sunday evenings, or Monday / Tuesday
- Teacher
- Erich McElroy on Sundays; Ben Clover midweek
- Class size
- Maximum 15 people
START WITH YOUR
OWN IDEAS.
The course is intended for people new to stand-up. Meet once a week for six weeks, with a showcase event, at Big Belly on London’s Southbank. Join Erich on Sunday evenings or Ben on Monday or Tuesday.
Ask us about the first session, preparation and showcase arrangements. We’ll share the details when they are confirmed.
See all Big Belly coursesComics who do it themselves
MEET THE TEACHING TEAM.
Your stand-up teachers are Erich McElroy on Sunday evenings and Ben Clover on Monday or Tuesday. Hamish Shepherd teaches Comedy Sketches for Social Media.
Stand-up & hosting
ERICH McELROY
Teaching: Sunday Hosting, MCing & Crowd Work, and evening stand-up
A stand-up comic whose work includes six full Edinburgh shows and appearances on BBC Breakfast, Newsnight and Sky News. Erich brings his live comedy experience to Sunday hosting workshops and evening stand-up courses.
More about Erich
Originally from Seattle and based in the UK since 2000, Erich combines stand-up with political commentary, including BBC Radio Scotland’s Breaking the News and the American Exchange podcast.
Official biography
Stand-up & sketch-making
HAMISH SHEPHERD
Teaching: Comedy Sketches for Social Media — Monday or Tuesday
Hamish creates short-form comedy sketches and performs stand-up on the London circuit. His work combines sharp writing with dark, sarcastic humour, and he joins Rob Moriarty on CHIEFCAST.
More about Hamish
Find Hamish’s comedy at @hamstandup. He has also performed at Sofar London.
Stand-up & comedy writing
BEN CLOVER
Teaching: Midweek stand-up — Monday or Tuesday
A stand-up comedian, writer and comedy tutor with UK and international performing experience. Ben has taken solo shows to the Edinburgh Fringe and writes jokes for other comedians, television and radio.
More about Ben
A former newspaper reporter, Ben was Roast Battle UK champion from 2019 to 2021.
Tutor biographyMake room for comedy
SUNDAYS OR
A MIDWEEK SESSION.
Stand-up meets once a week for six weeks. Beginners and Intermediate include a showcase; Advanced focuses on refining your comedy. The two-day hosting workshop also has a showcase.
Sunday / Erich McElroy
A DAY OF COMEDY.
Daytime: Hosting, MCing & Crowd Work — a two-day workshop with a showcase.
Evening: Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced Stand-up — one session a week for six weeks. Beginners and Intermediate have a showcase; Advanced is for brushing up.
Monday or Tuesday / Ben Clover
STAND-UP MIDWEEK.
Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced Stand-up, taught by Ben. Meet once a week for six weeks. Beginners and Intermediate finish with a showcase; Advanced focuses on polishing existing material.
Monday or Tuesday / Hamish Shepherd
MAKE YOUR
COMEDY SKETCHES.
Comedy Sketches for Social Media, taught by Hamish. One session a week for five or six weeks; the final duration and weekday will be confirmed.
Sunday and midweek stand-up courses can run alongside one another. The level offered in each intake, start dates, exact session times and the Monday / Tuesday allocation will be confirmed before booking opens.
The Big Belly difference
A COURSE.
A CLUB. A COMMUNITY.
Your course goes beyond the classroom: learn in a working comedy venue, watch the pros and find people to create with.
LONDON’S BEST
COMEDY VENUE.
Make Big Belly on London’s Southbank your comedy home. Learn in the place where comedians perform and audiences come to laugh.
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
COMEDY.
The only comedy course with an all-you-can-eat comedy pass. Watch as much comedy as you like during your course and for two weeks afterwards. See how working comics build a set, land a joke and hold a room.
Subject to availability. We’ll share how to use your pass before booking opens.
FIND YOUR PEOPLE.
BUILD YOUR IDEAS.
Bounce ideas off other budding comics, writers and performers. Find collaborators, share feedback and learn from one another as you develop your own comedy.
Your comedy club
RIGHT HERE
ON SOUTHBANK.
Big Belly Bar & Comedy ClubUnits 6 & 7, 30 Stamford Street
London SE1 9LQ
Questions about access or the teaching space? Ask the team before booking.
Visit Big BellyGood questions
BEFORE
YOU START.
Do I need a set before I start?
This course is intended for people new to stand-up. Ask us about preparation before your first session; the full syllabus and entry requirements will be confirmed before booking opens.
Is this for complete beginners?
The beginners stand-up course is intended as a starting point. Tell us if you’ve already performed and would like help checking your level. Full entry requirements will be confirmed before booking opens.
How small are the classes?
Every class has a maximum of 15 people, giving you space to try ideas and learn alongside the group.
What comedy can I watch?
Your all-you-can-eat comedy pass lets you watch as much comedy as you like during your course and for two weeks afterwards, subject to availability. We’ll confirm how to use your pass before booking opens.
How do I join the community?
Join other budding comics, writers and performers to bounce ideas around, share feedback, collaborate and learn from one another. We’ll confirm how to join with the course details.
When does it start, and what does it cost?
Stand-up courses run once a week for six weeks. Beginners and Intermediate have a showcase; Advanced is for refining your work without a showcase. Sunday evenings are taught by Erich; midweek sessions are taught by Ben on Monday or Tuesday. Start dates, exact times and prices are being confirmed. You can email us now about the course you’re interested in. This preview does not take bookings or payments.
What if I miss a session or need to cancel?
Attendance arrangements and cancellation terms are still being finalised. Please ask us about any dates or requirements that could affect your booking.
What about access and the teaching space?
Please email the team with your access questions before booking. The teaching room and course-specific access arrangements still need to be confirmed.
Start with beginners stand-up
FANCY
GIVING IT A GO?
Ask about the beginners stand-up course. Tell us what you’d like to get out of it and we’ll share the course details when they’re confirmed.
Email enquiry only. No booking, payment or mailing-list signup happens on this page.
ASK ABOUT BEGINNERS
Prefer to email directly?
hello@bigbellycomedy.clubThis page doesn’t store your enquiry. Your email is sent only when you send it from your email app.