Madeleine Brettingham is a comic writer-performer working across stage, page and screen.
Her debut play, Dear Martin, premiered at the Arcola Theatre in 2025, earning an Offie Assessors’ Choice. Reviews called it “a surreal thought-provoking comedy” that “bristles with verbal and visual energy.” It’s now in TV development.
Theatre
Recently, she’s become one to watch on the stand-up circuit, scooping a string of competition wins including the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny 2025. Promoters have called her “feisty” and “fearless” and her solo work-in-progress has appeared at the Leicester, Machnylleth, Brighton, Camden and Edinburgh comedy festivals. You can find selected gigs here,
Performance
On screen and radio, Madeleine’s credits are a who’s who of British comedy: Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, Would I Lie To You?, Have I Got News For You, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Horrible Histories, and more. She’s written solo, in rooms, as lead writer, and is currently developing multiple pilots for the BBC, Sky and independent production companies.
Broadcast
Her writing’s also appeared in The Times Literary Supplement, The Fence, and on Twitter, where viral posts have been picked up by The Sun, The Times, and The Washington Post. She’s been a BAFTA and Writers’ Guild judge, guest lectured at the National Film & Television School, and was a finalist for Best Comedy Writer at the Funny Women Awards.
Other
“Writes like a novelist, performs like a delinquent.”
“Razor-sharp wit and hilarious anecdotes.”
“Blends dark humour with thought-provoking themes.”
“A feisty and fearless performer with a definite edge.”
“See her before she becomes rich and famous.”
Praise
Frog-faced arse wipes: on satire post-Brexit, The Times Literary Supplement
Poison in jest: offence and free speech on the comedy circuit, The Times Literary Supplement
Funny Business: the inner lives of comedians, The Times Literary Supplement
Army of Me: further reflections on our robot overlords, Substack
Essays and reviews
Fiction
The Adolescents, The Fence
Can’t go on. Go on, The Times Literary Supplement Podcast
Dirty Grandpa, Smersh Pod
Switching to stand-up, Be Funny or Die
Podcasts