Three comedians who work as teaching assistants by day are preparing to bring their comedy acts to this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, illustrating the unique crossover between classroom management and stage performance.

Paul Hilleard, 32, who has been a teaching assistant for four years in a Bristol primary school supporting children with additional needs, describes the classroom as a more challenging environment than a late-night comedy club. “Children can be meaner than drunk adults,” he said, noting that primary school pupils lack empathy and may shout without reason. Hilleard believes his experience in education has sharpened skills essential for comedy, such as patience, resilience, and thinking on one’s feet. He plans to reduce his school hours from September to dedicate more time to comedy, finding that both sectors involve managing a mixed-ability audience with occasional disruptions.

Similarly, Alex Kitson, 29, who began stand-up while studying at the University of Bristol, found that juggling teaching assistant duties and comedy gigs required stamina and adaptability. He highlighted how strategies for handling challenging behaviour in classrooms overlap with those needed to engage comedy audiences. Kitson recalled moments where the lines blurred, such as asking students to cheer for homework completion, a move more suited to a comedy venue. Authenticity and the ability to adopt different personas, he said, are valued in both roles.

Bilal Zafar, 34, who won the Edinburgh Fringe’s best newcomer award in 2016, has combined his stand-up career with working as a teaching assistant for children with complex needs in east London. He found teaching brought a meaningful balance to his life, contrasting with the pressures of striving for success in comedy. Zafar noted that the flexible hours of a teaching assistant allowed him to focus on evening performances and festivals, including the Fringe. He also acknowledged that his classroom experiences provide rich material for his routines, a practice shared by other comedians with teaching backgrounds such as Romesh Ranganathan and Greg Davies.

The parallels between teaching and stand-up extend beyond audience interaction. Both demand an ability to perform theatrically and maintain engagement despite occasional indifference or disruption. Teachers-turned-comedians often find that managing a room of unruly students prepares them well for handling hecklers and difficult crowds in comedy clubs. While the nature of the challenge differs—students being sober but spirited, audiences sometimes intoxicated—both require experimentation, quick thinking, and a thick skin.

This intersection of careers highlights how teaching skills can translate into performing arts, and vice versa, illustrating a shared terrain of performance, crowd control, and resilience that underpins both professions.