sketch comedy!
from BBC1's
Tracey Ullman Show!
BBC Radio 4's Newsjack!
professional
TV & Radio experience!
of comedy writers!
sketch comedy courses
Taught by Gemma Arrowsmith, a professional comedy writer and performer on the Emmy nominated Tracey Ullman’s show on BBC1 and Script Editor on BBC Radio 4's Newsjack!
foundation: writing sketch comedy
6 week online course.
Each week you will be joining a fun team and a professional comedy writer to learn how to write sketch comedy!
This course covers the fundamentals of what sketch comedy is, how to come up with ideas and how to format and structure your sketches. We look at different games, how to escalate your sketches and how to pay all of that off at the end.
You will work solo and collaboratively on writing each week and have feedback on your writing in every class.
All of this culminates in the final class when we look at a real writers’ brief and students must put together everything they’ve learned over the previous 6 weeks and pitch ideas which fit the brief.
This is specifically designed as online training and will be using features like video sharing and script sharing so you can study and learn from well known sketches. The course will be using zoom breakout rooms and google docs to enable collaborative writing in-between sessions. You’ll also receive mentorship about the professional comedy industry, emails with additional writing resources and inspiring homework designed by a professional comedy writer.
advanced: TV & radio sketch comedy
8 week online course.
Learn how to write professional and funny radio & TV comedy with a professional radio & TV comedy writer and script editor.
In this course we do a deep dive into writing for TV and radio. First we delve into how to write for the audio medium including the particular challenges (and joys) audio brings! We look at the BBC radio open-door sketch shows and study the briefs for a variety of sketch shows on the radio (and podcasts). This course in particular aims to furnish you with real world opportunities to which you can submit your writing.
In the second half of the course we look at writing for the visual medium of TV. We cover TV script notation and formatting, writing to a budget and also study how to approach a TV writers’ brief including consideration of channel, audience, time slot and onscreen talent. We then look at a wide range of writers’ briefs from real TV shows, and students write sketches and top lines each week to fit those briefs.
All taught by Gemma Arrowsmith, a professional comedy writer and script editor who has successfully mentored previous Hoopla students into professionally writing for BBC Radio. Gemma is a professional TV comedy writer/performer from the Emmy nominated Tracey Ullman’s Show (BBC 1), Tracey Breaks the News (BBC 1) and the new Spitting Image.
YOU MUST HAVE DONE THE FOUNDATION SKETCH COMEDY COURSE BEFORE BOOKING ONTO THIS ADVANCED COURSE.
next available dates
foundation: writing sketch comedy
Dates:
Every Monday for 6 weeks from Monday 8th September 2025. BOOK
Every Wednesday for 6 weeks from Wednesday 17th September 2025. BOOK
Every Monday for 6 weeks from Monday 10th November 2025. BOOK
Every Wednesday for 6 weeks from Wednesday 21st May 2025. SOLD OUT
Every Monday for 6 weeks from Monday 24th March 2025 (including Bank Holiday). SOLD OUT
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm each week. UK time.
Price: £205.
Teacher: Gemma Arrowsmith.
Class Size: Strictly limited to just 10 people to maximise practice time.
Venue: Online over Zoom. We send you an email before each session with the Zoom meeting link. You will just need a laptop with camera to participate (laptop works better than phone or ipad).
This course requires a high commitment and you will need to be at each class on time due to the collaborative nature of scripted rehearsed sketch comedy. You will also need to write in-between classes. You may be asked to leave the course if you are repeatedly late or miss classes.
advanced: TV & radio sketch comedy
Dates:
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 26th November 2025 (with a break over Christmas and New Year). BOOK
Exact Dates: 26th Nov, 3rd Dec, 10th Dec, 17th Dec, Break, 7th Jan, 14th Jan, 21st Jan, 28th Jan.
Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 15th January 2025. SOLD OUT
Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 26th May 2025 (including Bank Holiday). SOLD OUT
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm each week. UK time.
Price: £250.
Teacher: Gemma Arrowsmith.
Class Size: Strictly limited to just 10 people to maximise practice time.
Venue: Online over Zoom. We send you an email before each session with the Zoom meeting link. You will just need a laptop with camera to participate (laptop works better than phone or ipad).
YOU MUST HAVE DONE THE FOUNDATION SKETCH COMEDY COURSE BEFORE BOOKING ONTO THIS ADVANCED COURSE.
This course requires a high commitment and you will need to be at each class on time due to the collaborative nature of scripted rehearsed sketch comedy. You will also need to write in-between classes. You may be asked to leave the course if you are repeatedly late or miss classes.
Gemma Arrowsmith
Gemma is a professional comedy writer-performer. Her most recent work includes the Emmy nominated Tracey Ullman’s Show (BBC 1), Tracey Breaks the News (BBC 1) and the new Spitting Image! She is also script editor on Newsjack (BBC Radio 4 Extra).
Her other TV and Radio credits include Charlie Brooker’s How TV Ruined Your Life (BBC), Paul Whitehouse’s Nurse (BBC), Dave Gorman’s Modern Life is Goodish (Dave), The Now Show (BBC Radio 4), The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), Riot Girls (Channel 4), Class Dismissed (CBBC), Bravest Warriors (Cartoon Hangover), Upstart Crow (BBC), Stath Lets Flats, Merlin (BBC), Hustle (BBC), Home Time, Spy, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (BBC) and Dead Boss amongst other things.
Gemma is also sought after in the world of kids’ TV and radio, where her credits include: Vic Reeves’ Ministry of Curious Stuff, DNN (CBBC), Hacker Time (CBBC), Beano Town (Fun Kids Radio), Relic: Guardians of the Museum (online game, CBBC), Transmission Impossible (CBBC).
She has performed in and directed Newsrevue, is half of Mould & Arrowsmith, and her one-woman shows have had successful runs at The Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe and Vaults Festival.
Her “What were you wearing?” sketch for Tracey Ullman was featured in the New York Times, Huffington Post, Mirror, Metro and more, with over 35 million views on Facebook and was BBC Comedy’s highest rated video of 2017.
A winner of Fringe Report Awards’ Best Artist (2007), they declared: “The award reflects Gemma Arrowsmith’s seven-threat excellence as singer, dancer, actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and director.”
Tracey Ullman’s Show (BBC1)
This sketch was written by Gemma Arrowsmith and was featured in the New York Times, Huffington Post, Mirror, Metro and more, with over 35 million views on Facebook and was BBC Comedy’s highest rated video of 2017.
faqs
What do I need to take part?
Laptop with camera and an internet connection. Laptops work better than phones or ipads, but phones and ipads also work.
When do I receive the login details for the zoom sessions?
We will email them out a couple of days before the course starts and also on the day.
What previous experience is required for the Foundation Course?
No previous writing or performing experience is needed.
What previous experience is required for the Advanced Course?
You must have previously completed the Foundation Course before doing the Advanced Course. Even if you have previous sketch writing experience you will need to complete the Foundation Course first.
What's the commitment level like?
High. You will be writing and performing as part of a team so missing or being late for rehearsals or missing shows will be letting down the overall team. There is also writing homework. Please don't sign up to these courses if you are likely to be regularly late or missing courses. You may be asked to leave the course or not do the show if you are repeatedly late or missing rehearsals.
Is it ok to be late or miss classes?
No. You will be creating scripts as part of a team and being late or missing classes means that team will not be able to function fully. We aren't able to offer a replacement session for any missed workshops, as all of our courses and workshops tend to be booked up at least a month in advance and we don't have space.
What comes after the Foundation Course.
Advanced: TV & Radio Sketch Comedy Course.
How much homework is there?
You will need to be writing in between classes, and Gemma will be inspiring you with resources to help this. The amount you write is up to you, but the more you put into it the more you will get from the course.
Can I just start straight away with the Advanced Course?
No. You must start at our Foundation Course first, even if you have previous writing experience.
How much performing is there?
This is mainly a writing course but you will also be reading out sketches. The main focus is on writing so you won't have to be an experienced actor to take part, and our feedback and progression will be mainly around writing not performing.
How often do you do the courses?
Just a couple of times per year.
What's the feedback level like?
Encouraging and supportive but honest. We'll tell you what's going well with your writing and sketches but also give constructive helpful feedback on what needs changing or improving. The aim is to give you everything you need to write sketches professionally.
what some of our previous students are doing now
- Spring Day is an amazing comedian who has been on Live at the Apollo and written for Horrible Histories.
- Paul Creasy has written sketches for DMs Are Open on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
- Daniel Willis has had sketches on BBC shows Newsjack and The Skewer. He also has a solo show, A Glass of Sketch which he took to the Camden Fringe and Brighton Fringe.
- Next Level Sketch comedy is a writing collective and monthly live sketch night made up of alumni from the sketch course. They have a monthly show at Hoopla plus online sketches and podcasts.
- Max Kreisky has set up a sketch comedy zine called Gut Bust on a sketch podcast called Shared Drive.
- Free Mondays are a sketch group made up of alumni from the course.
- Joann Condon has written and produced a solo show ‘Little Boxes’.
- Alpha Mums was a sketch group made up of Leonie Rachel, Joann Condon and Ayshea Bravo. They took a show to the Brighton Fringe.