Alexei Sayle, one of the grandfathers of modern stand-up comedy, and now a successful writer, recently lamented that modern comedians perform as if they have graduated from the "university of comedy".
He could have been talking about Warwick University. Though offering no performance degrees as such, Warwick has an active drama and cabaret scene, an inventive comedy society, supportive students union, plus a number of suitable cabaret venues not to mention the added bonus of the Warwick Arts Centre (the largest outside London), which brings in top professional acts to study.
As a result there's always plenty of talent passing through the doors. Past alumni include Frank Skinner and the Cheese Shop group whose founder members went to succeed as solo actors and comedians, including Dave Lamb (Hippies, Rhona, Goodness Gracious Me) and stand-up Gordon Southern.
For the rest of the article go to: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2004/jan/17/students.schools
