Serious about comedy
Stand-up comics give Chris Wiegand the low-down on making laughs for a living
'Edinburgh? It's like having Ofsted inspectors in'
Serious about comedy no 10: Comedian Russell Howard talks about Mock the Week and the tools of the comedy trade
'It's always fun to think of new ways to shock yourself'
Serious about comedy no 9: Karen Taylor talks about moving from stand-up to television
'I couldn't believe people were laughing'
Serious about comedy no 8: Todd Barry has always found the reaction to his gags a surprising thrill. He hopes it'll be the same for his biggest gig yet: opening for Ricky Gervais and 5,600 people
'I am a musician trapped in the body of a comedian'
Serious about comedy no 7: Musical comedian Stephen Lynch on why The Wedding Singer drove him to despair, turning to Lionel Richie and avoiding groupies
'After 17 years of slogging along, the possibilities seem limitless'
Serious about comedy no 6: Brendon Burns on winning awards, respecting the audience and cutting to the funny
'A heckler is like a gift from God'
Serious about comedy no 5: Simon Munnery on why an audience is a comedian's best friend and the thrill of the woof
'It's 20 years since I did a decent day's work'
Serious about comedy no 4: Stewart Lee on the ups and downs of being a touring comedian
'If people don't find it funny, they get really angry'
Serious about comedy no 3: Perrier award-winner Laura Solon talks about why audiences don't trust female comedians and why sketch shows beat stand-up
'I'm just a bloke talking crap'
Serious about comedy no 2: Actor and comedian Eddie Izzard talks about his debut as a raven, beating stage fright and why lipstick gags don't make good comedy
'I'm still debating whether it's a job for a grown man'
Serious about comedy no 1: How do you get good at making people laugh for a living? Richard Herring shares his tips