About

Select Comedy Review is an independent-minded reading space for people curious about how comedy works. We explore comic writing, character, performance and form without reducing every work to a verdict or treating laughter as the only thing worth noticing.

What we cover

Our subjects include joke construction, comic characters, satire, farce, parody, sketch and performance. We pay attention to the choices that shape a comic moment: what an opening leads us to expect, how a scene changes direction, or why a performer’s pause can matter as much as a line. The aim is to make room for close reading, comparison and useful ways of noticing.

Who it is for

The publication is for general readers who enjoy comedy and want more language for discussing it. No specialist background is needed. We explain terms when they help, use examples to clarify an idea, and leave space for different responses; a comic work can succeed in more than one way, and a reader’s laughter is not a test to pass.

How we approach it

We begin with the work itself: its form, choices and effects. We distinguish interpretation from fact, avoid presenting taste as a universal rule, and give context where it helps a reader understand the subject. Our writing aims to be specific, thoughtful and lively, with the practical question close at hand: what can you notice the next time you watch, read or hear comedy?