We Are Funny Project - London

AMAN

Alfie and I had a thorough 15-minute session where he was forthright and clear in helping me decide on a plan of action. We agreed that taking the "Stepping into Stand-Up" course would be a great way to get on the same page and enhance my progress. With a few gigs already lined up, the course has been a great help. I liked that I could take my time and be flexible with the exercises, focusing on what I found useful while also discovering different styles of approaching the same task or issue—comedy! There’s also a lot of practical advice on etiquette and tips for gigs, which I found really useful. Overall, it’s a solid resource for building both skills and confidence on stage.

Highly recommend!

Jane S.

My friends and I came down on a Tuesday evening and had a cracking time. Paul was an excellent MC and the acts were really funny !

The entire room was forced to sing happy birthday for one of my friends which was really nice and super awkward- practically perfect

Kat

Disability-friendly and so many useful nuggets of inside info and advice. So much precious insight in this workshop. And the energy and buzz was great. Loved it. Also I have a disability and Alfie was understanding. He had a refreshing level of awareness of ways in which he could help to minimise the challenges involved.

Diane M.

Alfies stand up comedy workshop was great.
Lots of fab advice about writing and comedy ideas. Plus lots of honest and useful feed back on our five sets.
Thanks Alfie. I would definitely recommend this workshop to others

Rowan W.

Had a really great Wednesday night here, would recommend. Big laughs, range of styles, and the headliners were hilarious. I thought the pub hosting the club had good vibes as well.

Alan G.

Booked myself on the Punch Up Your Stand-Up Course with Alfie Noakes. Performed a 5 min set & got direct feedback from Alfie that was meticulous in detail & to the point!!!! That was just what I needed & you don't get at Gigs. I've been given things to work on & feel re-energised over my stand-up comedy

QBoy M.

I attended "Punch Up Your Stand-Up with Alfie Noakes". If you like a concise approach in just one afternoon (rather than over weeks) this is an ideal course, it will help new comedians to shape their 5-min stand up set to a better standard and give them tools for their future material

Marta K.

I’m writing this review to share my experience for anyone considering investing their hard-earned money into developing their stand-up comedy skills.

My journey with Alfie began after my first open mic when I spontaneously booked a one-on-one coaching session to seek constructive feedback. Alfie held a phone consultation where he encouraged me to purchase his online course. He insisted that without it, our coaching time would be wasted on basic writing techniques, despite my mentioning that I already had some stand-up writing knowledge. He added, “If you don’t benefit from it, you can ask for a refund, but NO ONE EVER has.” Believing I therefore had nothing to lose, I decided to buy the course, totalling £199.

Unfortunately, I found the online course to be a brief overview of only a few stand-up writing tools and some comedy jargon—it didn't meet my expectations. Having previously read several stand-up books, I discovered better resources available that provide greater value for those serious about the craft.

In the lead-up to our coaching session, I received two emails requesting a course review. I chose to wait until after our session to provide feedback, hoping it would be a worthwhile experience. However, I found the session to be quite challenging. Alfie had prepared a handwritten script based on my stand-up video, which I had sent well in advance. He later mentioned he had only transcribed it the night before, leading to some crucial errors in understanding my material. I had a written version of my set, which could have streamlined the process.
During the session, Alfie provided 'feedback' with suggestions that he claimed took mere seconds to come up with. This made me feel that there was limited time devoted to analyzing my material. When I attempted to share my thoughts behind my jokes, he suggested we didn't have time for discussion.
Regarding suggestions, I found many of Alfie’s ideas for developing topics to be quite basic and subjective. For instance, while referring to the Clarks shoe shop, he mentioned, “Clark is also an accountant; you could use that.” While I understand he was attempting to help, I felt that identifying potential topics and opportunities for puns—like this one—could easily be noted by a 12-year-old.
Coaching should ideally assist you in developing your unique style and vision rather than providing off-the-cuff suggestions. I noticed that most of Alfie’s tools seemed subjective and did not account for different styles of stand-up. His suggestion to use “a more evocative way of speaking” often came down to using more words and adjectives, which, in my opinion, diluted my humor. I prefer the “less is more” approach, inspired by comedians who use simple phrases yet deliver impactful punchlines.
If that’s the type of guidance you seek, Alfie might be a good fit. However, if you’re after a more collaborative discussion about your ideas without feeling a power imbalance—where he positions himself as the expert and you as the novice—you may want to consider other options. It seemed that for Alfie, the number of gigs you’ve done was the primary measure of your experience, which can sometimes limit a more nuanced coaching dynamic.
As the session unfolded, I began to sense a disconnect. I felt hopeful that he would honor my request for a refund for the second session, which I would not be using, as well as for the online course. However, I received a lengthy email explaining that I had missed the 30-day refund window for the course and that he would not refund any portion of the coaching fee.

In summary, I feel that I invested £199, a considerable amount of time, and unfortunately, gained nothing from the experience. I believe Alfie excels as a businessman and salesman, but I found that the coaching didn’t align with my expectations. It might be worth asking him directly about his track record in writing and performing successful stand-up, as well as his coaching qualifications, to see if he’s the right fit for you.