NAME: John Bonner AGE: 36 COURSE: Stand Up Comedy WHERE? The Comedy School, Camden Town PERIOD: Seven weeks

ENTRY ONTO THE COURSE: No qualifications or previous experience are needed.

REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE COURSE: I just wanted to see if I could be funny, really. I was also interested in how stand-up comedy could be taught.

AREAS THE COURSE COVERS: How to collect and collate material, comedic techniques and emotional emphasis, but the course cannot teach you how to be funny.

THE OTHER STUDENTS: The class was very mixed. There were 18 people - six women and 12 men, mainly from London. The ages ranged from 17 to a lady in her mid-50s.

ATMOSPHERE: The school is in a lovely area near Regent's Park. Our tutor was Tony Allen, part of the early wave of alternative comedians, so we all learnt from a professional.

THE FUTURE: Who knows? Our group wants to remain in touch and I'll continue to write new material and hopefully perform more. Next stop, the London Palladium!

MORE INFORMATION: Visit the website thecomedyschool.co.uk