10 Essential Steps - How to be a stand up comedian
29/01/12 21:09 Filed in: Informative
By Dave Heckler on 20 Oct 09 in Stand Up
1. Go to gigs
First off, it's really helpful to get as much of a feel for how a comedy night is planned out (although they rarely are) as possible. It sounds obvious but you'll be watching the whole night from a different perspective and you just can't get that from watching stand-up DVDs. It's more helpful than you may realise.
2. Write enough material
When you first start doing open spots you may only be asked to do two minutes but you'll need to write enough material to fill the time you have. Don't think that improvising will get you through - making a set seem as though it's off the cuff is part of the craft and that only comes with time. When starting out, play it safe, write enough material.
3. Carry a pad
To help with the writing process, it's worth carrying a notepad with you at all times. The best ideas are like ninjas: they'll appear at any time, unannounced and with the potential to kill. And you WILL forget them. Ideas that is, not ninjas. Ninjas are too cool to forget.
4. Practice out loud
When you're writing material, it's important to practice it out loud. As Harrison Ford famously said about the Star Wars script, "you can write this shit, but you sure can't say it" and he was right. An audience can tell if you're reeling off lines as opposed to talking to them and they may have you for it. And no matter how much you'd like, you are not Han Solo.
5. Be yourself
The best comedians have a distinct voice. After all, we are all individuals (except people in All Bar One) and each one of us has a unique take on life. Your own comedy voice may take a while to appear but that comes with time, practice and experience. Richard Pryor started out making family-friendly jokes before something snapped and he changed his entire approach - the rest is comedy history.
6. Move to London
Sorry but it's true. London is still the heart of British stand-up. Of course there are comedy clubs throughout the country and you can start by approaching your local venues. But, if you get the chance, pop on the train to the Big Smoke; there's no other city where you can get to do more than two spots a night, seven nights a week if you so desire. That kind of experience is invaluable.
7. Consult your local listings
If you're based in and around London, Time out is your bible for listings of all the comedy clubs with open mic nights and contact details. Outside of London check out your local paper or supplements in nationals such as the Guardian Guide. A lot of comedy night organisers are about as organised as Frank Spencer and won't reply to emails, so it's better to ring them up. It's also worth getting on Facebook as there are lots of groups for open mic spots and new act nights so you can be kept regularly informed via the magic of the internet.
8. Be cautious about competitions
There are plenty of new act competitions out there and, while I'd never say don't do them, they often aren't great experiences as a lot of so-called new acts have been around for a while, and these nights are usually decided by audience voting so acts who bring the most friends get through. Also the best comics of the night rarely get through if they go on first, simply because the audience isn't warmed up. If you're a beginner then by all means enter them, but do so with your eyes open about how they work. They can very easily knock your confidence and are not a very good barometer of how strong your material is. The acclaimed So you think your funny competition is one of the few exceptions and holds auditions all around the UK but, overall, my advice is to apply for open mic slots first.
9. Take a course
This is becoming an increasingly popular option – you can even do a degree in writing and performing stand-up comedy – and you'll find they're a good way for complete novices to learn things you may take for granted like overall confidence-building, appearing comfortable on stage and microphone techniques. They are also very good for contacts which, in this game, is essential. The Amused Moose Comedy Course and London Stand up Comedy Course are recommended but there are plenty of others out there in Google-land.
10. Gig Gig! GIG!
Bottom line. You will only learn and get better by actually doing it. No theory can prepare you for the unglamorous experience of performing to six people in a pub. You can't do stand-up piecemeal; you should be performing every night, more than once if possible. Plus, it pays bugger all so if you do find yourself alright at stand-up then you'll need to be doing it that often in order to afford food and somewhere to live. You know, the luxuries. So get out there and make people laugh – you've nothing to lose. Except your mind.
1. Go to gigs
First off, it's really helpful to get as much of a feel for how a comedy night is planned out (although they rarely are) as possible. It sounds obvious but you'll be watching the whole night from a different perspective and you just can't get that from watching stand-up DVDs. It's more helpful than you may realise.
2. Write enough material
When you first start doing open spots you may only be asked to do two minutes but you'll need to write enough material to fill the time you have. Don't think that improvising will get you through - making a set seem as though it's off the cuff is part of the craft and that only comes with time. When starting out, play it safe, write enough material.
3. Carry a pad
To help with the writing process, it's worth carrying a notepad with you at all times. The best ideas are like ninjas: they'll appear at any time, unannounced and with the potential to kill. And you WILL forget them. Ideas that is, not ninjas. Ninjas are too cool to forget.
4. Practice out loud
When you're writing material, it's important to practice it out loud. As Harrison Ford famously said about the Star Wars script, "you can write this shit, but you sure can't say it" and he was right. An audience can tell if you're reeling off lines as opposed to talking to them and they may have you for it. And no matter how much you'd like, you are not Han Solo.
5. Be yourself
The best comedians have a distinct voice. After all, we are all individuals (except people in All Bar One) and each one of us has a unique take on life. Your own comedy voice may take a while to appear but that comes with time, practice and experience. Richard Pryor started out making family-friendly jokes before something snapped and he changed his entire approach - the rest is comedy history.
6. Move to London
Sorry but it's true. London is still the heart of British stand-up. Of course there are comedy clubs throughout the country and you can start by approaching your local venues. But, if you get the chance, pop on the train to the Big Smoke; there's no other city where you can get to do more than two spots a night, seven nights a week if you so desire. That kind of experience is invaluable.
7. Consult your local listings
If you're based in and around London, Time out is your bible for listings of all the comedy clubs with open mic nights and contact details. Outside of London check out your local paper or supplements in nationals such as the Guardian Guide. A lot of comedy night organisers are about as organised as Frank Spencer and won't reply to emails, so it's better to ring them up. It's also worth getting on Facebook as there are lots of groups for open mic spots and new act nights so you can be kept regularly informed via the magic of the internet.
8. Be cautious about competitions
There are plenty of new act competitions out there and, while I'd never say don't do them, they often aren't great experiences as a lot of so-called new acts have been around for a while, and these nights are usually decided by audience voting so acts who bring the most friends get through. Also the best comics of the night rarely get through if they go on first, simply because the audience isn't warmed up. If you're a beginner then by all means enter them, but do so with your eyes open about how they work. They can very easily knock your confidence and are not a very good barometer of how strong your material is. The acclaimed So you think your funny competition is one of the few exceptions and holds auditions all around the UK but, overall, my advice is to apply for open mic slots first.
9. Take a course
This is becoming an increasingly popular option – you can even do a degree in writing and performing stand-up comedy – and you'll find they're a good way for complete novices to learn things you may take for granted like overall confidence-building, appearing comfortable on stage and microphone techniques. They are also very good for contacts which, in this game, is essential. The Amused Moose Comedy Course and London Stand up Comedy Course are recommended but there are plenty of others out there in Google-land.
10. Gig Gig! GIG!
Bottom line. You will only learn and get better by actually doing it. No theory can prepare you for the unglamorous experience of performing to six people in a pub. You can't do stand-up piecemeal; you should be performing every night, more than once if possible. Plus, it pays bugger all so if you do find yourself alright at stand-up then you'll need to be doing it that often in order to afford food and somewhere to live. You know, the luxuries. So get out there and make people laugh – you've nothing to lose. Except your mind.