You've written some great comedy sketches and now you want to get them accepted for either a radio or TV show. Generally, the way we do this is by sending off a script in the hope that our script stands out from amongst the thousands of others. An alternative and more daring approach that you could take is to stage your own comedy show. You can then invite show producers and/or get a recording of your show to send out subsequently.

Based on my own experiences, this article shows the steps that you would need to take to make this a reality.

Step 1: Is it feasible to stage a sketch show?

Do you have enough good quality sketches? If we assume that most sketches are in the region of 3 5 minutes in length, then you probably need between 10 15 sketches. This should give you a show of about one and a half hours, when you factor in an interval.
Can you afford the cost of hiring a venue? Of the two shows that I have staged, one was at a small theatre and the other was a pub's function room. It will be a case of researching various options and getting price quotes.

In my case, I was putting on the shows jointly with another writer. This meant that the sketch writing requirement was split, as was the cost. This can be a very useful approach. Indeed, you might be able to get 3 or 4 writers involved which will make the enterprise all the more affordable.

Step 2: Have I got the right people to stage a show?

You will need a team of actors. Some comedy shows operate with just having 4 actors so that's probably the basic minimum. I would suggest having around 6 or 7 to minimise their workload. Remember, you will probably need a split of male and female actors. We got actors who were willing to perform for free. They saw it as an opportunity to try something different (i.e. comedy rather than plays), and we were able to give them a CD at the end with their names on it which they could then use as part of their acting CVs.
It's probably also advisable to have a director. This is a role that you could perform yourself, but it's best to have someone who's not so close to the sketches and who has experience of planning stage directions and dealing with actors. Having a director will also make actors more willing to come on board.

Step 3: Set up the logistics
Decide when you want to stage the show, and book the venue. You will generally be required to pay a deposit. You need to allow yourself plenty of time to rehearse and plan the show.
Decide when

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