Why certain comedy clubs are great for dates.

It's a funny business, romance. This is the time of year where people who were committed singletons over the summer suddenly have a change of heart, as the clocks go back, the darker, chillier nights draw in, and Christmas approaches. It's time to start thinking about snuggling up: but where do you meet a potential partner nowadays? You won't be surprised to hear that we heartily recommend comedy clubs.

Ask most recently-formed couples where the first flirt happened, and they will increasingly mention a dating site, which makes perfect sense in the modern world. If you prefer old-fashioned methods though, a good tip is a comedy club - specifically one that continues as a bar or nightclub afterwards. Everyone in there presumably likes comedy, and is in a good mood after laughing for hours. And they're usually up for a chat, having not really talked for ages either: all very communal.

Comedy clubs are surprisingly good for romantic evenings, even well into a relationship. Imagine you're looking for the ideal time to pop the question. You've got The Perfect Ring, The Eternity Rose, The Posh Hotel Room, now you just need to get him or her in The Right Mood: how about a stand-up show? If it's good, you're both awash with laugh-induced endorphins, and if not, well, you get to sneak off at the interval and bond over how bad it was. Perfect.

You'll notice that it's the after-gig moments that are good for dating here: the comedy gigs themselves are not great for chatting-up, in truth, as someone else is doing all the talking. Still, it's a lot more sociable than a film, where you sit in silence and in the dark (although a back-row fumble is a lot more acceptable at the cinema than at a gig - enthusiastic snogging is definitely not encouraged in the back row of your local stand-up night. It's a bit distracting).

Stand-ups will occasionally try to set people up. The question 'are you two a couple?' must be one of the most common phrases heard on comedy stages, by comics doing relationship-based material, or comperes trying to get some audience repartee going. If the near-neighbours aren't attached, and they have no actual partners in the vicinity either, it's a fair bet that the comic will have a good crack at matchmaking them as the gig goes on. Does it ever work? If there's a late bar or nightclub afterwards: probably.

Of course, you could always try to chat up a comedian, if they've hung around for a drink after the gig, too. We couldn't really recommend doing that though, as most stand-ups readily admit to not being the best-adjusted people in the world. That's why a lot of them go out with each other: they're often the only people who really understand the lifestyle; all those late nights and post-gig highs and lows. And if it doesn't work out, well, at least they'll both get loads of material out of it.