Comedy Writing 2

The course is open access, and designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training. We expect you to undertake a certain amount of self-directed study and preparation out with class times.

Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work as part of a team.

You will need access to a device such as a desktop computer, laptop or tablet which allows you to access the internet with a screen large enough to see the group members during online sessions. You will need internet connection which is fast enough to take part in video sessions on MS Teams/Zoom and to watch film footage.

You may also want to consider whether you have a space you can use where you can work without interruption. Please keep in mind that the other students taking part in the course will be able to see what’s behind you when you are online.

• Friends – Series 1 Ep 1
• Frasier – Series 1 Ep 1
• The Thick of It – Series 3 Ep 1

• Plan and prepare to attend all classes
• Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in.
• Bring a notepad and pen/pencil in case you wish to make notes.
• Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class.

David Cosgrove

As a writer David has worked onover 30 episodes of children’s television, including the creation of Butterfingers and Uncle Dad for CITV – the latter winning a Scottish BAFTA. David was co-writer on two series of King of The Road, starring Bradley Walsh, for Radio 2 and has over 2000 commissioned minutes of sketch comedy for Radio Scotland and Radio 4. His hit musical 3 Steps To Heaven has had over a dozen professional productions including three Number One UK tours (produced by Gateway Theatre, Chester, and Perth Theatre). Other work includes over 20 commissioned plays (Mull Theatre, Borderline, Peninsula Theatre, Arden Entertainment, Pavilion Glasgow, The Royal Blind School, Govan Initiative, Craigmillar Festival, Scottish Youth Theatre, The Buzz Project, Oran Mor). His first feature film, Elemental Fear, is in post-production, and he has scripted several short films for Barnardos and NHS Scotland.

In addition to his skills as a writer, dramaturg and script editor, he has been engaged by the BBC as a script reader, comedy consultant, stand-up judge, and writing tutor.

Corporate clients have included: Barnardos, British Airways, British Telecom, Cairn Energy, Diageo, N.H.S Scotland, Greater Glasgow Health Board, Scottish Media Group, Scottish Enterprise, and The World Health Organization.

He led the last two Young Writers Courses for Scottish Youth Theatre and in 2013 curated a Festival of New Writing for participants of these courses. He has delivered writing workshops in the U.K. and Australia, and has been a guest lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University and City University, New York.

Since 2014 he has been a Short Course Lecturer in Screen Writing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. As a full voting member of BAFTA he has both chaired and been a member of juries for BAFTA Scotland, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

This course will run online on Thursday evenings for 10-weeks from 18 April – 20 June 2024, 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

The course fee is £185 which is the equivalent to £18.50 per session, and can be paid in full or in instalments before the course end date.