An established comedy writer, Madeleine Brettingham has rapidly emerged as one of the most distinctive new voices in British stand-up.
Following an extraordinary string of competition wins including So You Think You’re Funny in 2025, her Edinburgh debut this year, Legend, played to sell-out audiences and received widespread critical acclaim.
The Scotsman described it as a “swaggeringly confident and clinically executed debut… an absolute killer onstage”, while Rolling Stone selected it as one of its 12 standout shows of the Edinburgh Fringe, saying she “deserves to rocket to stardom”.
Performance
“The kind of talent that makes you lament the imminent demise of Live at the Apollo…She is so accomplished as both a writer and performer that she absolutely deserves to rocket to stardom…such flair and exceptional joke-writing that you immediately want to fast-forward to her arena tour era” - Rolling Stone
“Lean and punchy with…nary a word wasted…you’re drawn to the brazen cheek, the legendary self-assurance of it” - The Scotsman
“This is a sold-out show… It turns out there’s a good reason for that. Simply put, Madeleine Brettingham is sensational” - Broadway Baby
“Deliciously deadpan…How can a show this good be a debut hour? Its gag rate is through the roof, the delivery sure-footed and the quality of…material sky high” -The List
"Flinty, glittering darkness… an exceptionally strong debut” - Chortle
“[An] uncompromising onyx-black debut…she’s a tremendous joke-writer and a terrific raconteur…the real deal” - The Wee Review
“An obvious star-in-the-making” - British Comedy Guide
“Surely set to strike it big” - Beyond The Joke
Praise for Legend
On screen and radio, Madeleine’s writing 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. Frankie Boyle has called her “one of the best joke writers in comedy today.”
She’s written solo, in rooms, as lead writer, and is currently developing her own original projects.
As a guest, she’s appeared on shows and podcasts including BBC Radio Scotland’s Breaking the News and Drunk Women Solving Crime.
Broadcast
Elsewhere, her fiction and essays have appeared in The Times Literary Supplement and The Fence. In 2025, her play, Dear Martin, premiered at the Arcola Theatre, 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.
Behind the scenes, she’s been a BAFTA and Writers’ Guild judge and guest lectured at the National Film & Television School.
Literary
Industry
So You Think You're Funny? — Winner, 2025
Beat the Frog World Series — Winner, 2025
Bath New Act of the Year — Winner, 2025
West End New Women Comedian — Winner, 2025
Funny Women Stage Awards — Silver, 2025
West End New Act of the Year – Silver, 2025
Comedians' Choice Awards — Best Newcomer, shortlisted, 2026
NextUp Biggest Award in Comedy — Nominee, 2026
The List Festival Awards — Best Comedy Show, longlisted, 2026
ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards — Best Newcomer, longlisted, 2026
British Animation Awards — Writers Award nominee, 2022
Funny Women - TV Best Comedy Writer Finalist, 2020
Awards & recognition
Stand-up clips
So You Think You’re Funny set, YouTube
Funny Women set, YouTube
Radio and podcast appearances
Breaking the News, BBC Radio Scotland
The Naked Truth, Drunk Women Solving Crime
Dirty Grandpa, Smersh Pod
Switching to stand-up, Be Funny or Die
Essays and fiction