All this month we are celebrating acts that you need to look out for in 2025. Today we speak to Charlie Vero-Martin who has some really exciting news for 2025 and some great courses coming your way!

Hello Charlie tell us all about yourself?

I’m a Scottish comedian/actor/writer/coach living in London. I specialise in character comedy and improv and I also love to throw in some puppets where I can. 

How was 2024 for you?

2024 was a weird one! 2023 I was super busy with my solo show Picnic but this year I took a bit of a break from gigging. I’ve really enjoyed writing various scripts and pitches as well as teaching improv and helping others develop their comedy. 

What was the top 3 highlights for you? –

1. Getting to do Picnic at Soho Theatre was a dream come true and a lovely way to say goodbye to the show. 

2. This year, as well as teaching my own improv and character comedy courses, I also relaunched my improv for business company as Jollity Coaching! So if you think your workmates could benefit from the joys of improv, get in touch for a bespoke workshop or sign up to my Improv for Personal Development course.

3. On a more personal note, I finally got to go on my honeymoon to Vietnam!

What was the key lesson you learnt from last year?

I was really worried I’d miss not doing an Edinburgh Fringe show but it was actually really nice to have the time (and money) to work on other things. I’ll never say never but I think it’s very unlikely I’ll take a solo show again for a whole month. Maybe a short run or I’d go with a play or improv group. I was only ever able to do it in the past because I’m from there/could stay with family and did it on the cheap but it’s such a different beast now and unaffordable even with free accommodation. It’s quite liberating to let go of that pressure.  

What are your plans for 2025?

Next year I’m already running three courses:

– Improv for Business and Personal Development: This is open to anyone who wants to reap the benefits of improv without having to perform comedy. Over the course of six weeks, we’ll play games and exercises from improv comedy adapted to build your confidence and communication skills. Even if you are a seasoned improviser or actor, this course can help you feel more assured and authentic in your everyday life. 

– Improv Rules and How to Break Them: This is a research project as much as a course as it’s an experimental exploration of how we teach and study improv that I hope to one day turn into a book! This particular project, starting in February, is open to professional actors and comedians who may not have studied improv before as well as experienced improvisers. This is an advanced course, which is more about the process than training for a specific “showcase”. It’s about developing your intuition and ability to create engaging and funny scenes on stage rather than learning a specific format or technique. Participants will therefore need to be committed and open to trying new approaches and taking direction. 

– Character Comedy Course: This has already proved very popular! Over 6-weeks I will help you develop a 5min character comedy act as well as teach you methods that will help you to create even more in the future. This is a safe and supportive space to experiment and receive guidance in this incredibly fun and liberating genre of comedy. # What lessons are you looking forward to teaching this year?I’m not sure what you mean by this question… did I already answer it above or have I to give a piece of advice?

How can people sign up to your courses? 

All my upcoming courses and workshops can be found here: https://www.charlieveromartin.com/courses

What styles do you hope to see more of in comedy this year?

In improv I’d hope to see more free flowing scene work. I sometimes feel we get too fixated on having a format or a gimmick and then it ends up being restricted, which should be the opposite of improv! I love a mix of scenes: slow, dramatic, fast-paced, big characters, grounded etc. And especially shows that integrate other artforms like Giant Steps who have jazz musicians! In comedy in general, I love fun colourful characters so hopefully TV/Radio will start doing more sitcoms (and god forbid, sketch shows!) and press pause on all the panel shows.

What comedian is your ones to watch in 2025 and why?

I had a great time mentoring Hannah Whyte this year who has so many quirky strings to her bow including illustration! I met her through a project run by Mikey-Bligh Smith who does really interesting, funny stuff and I hope to work with more next year. 

Do you have any new years resolutions? If so what are they?

Try to get up earlier. I’ve invested in a sad lamp and mouth tape so we’ll see what happens.

Are you on social media? If so how can people find out more about your troupe?

Instagram is the best way but also subscribe to my Substack: https://charlieveromartin.substack.com/

Three words why people should come and see you this year? 

Takes Silly Seriously 

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