Being a Stand-Up Comic
Being a stand-up comic is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. It requires a unique set of skills, a relentless drive, and (surprise, surprise) a great sense of humour. Below are some things you need to do to make that lifestyle a reality.
Find Your Voice
All great stand-ups have a ‘voice’. This means figuring out what you want to say, how you want to say it, and who you are on stage. What is your personality as a comedian? Sometimes your onstage persona may be quite different from who you are day to day. Often it’s a heightened version of you. But all good comics have one. Robin Williams was “crazy and out there”, Judith Lucy (above) is dry and laconic, and Bill Hicks was rebellious and outspoken. You might want to do punny one-liners like Tim Vine or deep social commentary like Jim Jefferies.
It’s about finding your unique perspective on the world and using humour to convey it. Finding your voice takes time and practice. You must be willing to fail and experiment until you find what works for you. You must also be open to feedback and criticism from other comedians and audiences. It may take some time and a lot of gigs, but eventually, you’ll hit on who you want to be.
Writing Material
Constantly writing down your ideas is very important. Whether you’re using pen and paper, your notes app or a voice memo, never let a good idea get away. Get it down straight away and review it later.
Ideas come from everywhere and often stem from things that annoy, confuse, confound or simply amuse you, depending on the type of comedian you are. As stated above, it comes down to what you want to say. Tim Vine might go on a plane and write a series of puns about airline food; Robin Williams might have written about the fat man beside him hogging the seat, while Jim Jefferies might talk about the obscene profits an airline is making. It’s not to say a comic always sticks to one style. Jim Jefferies might occasionally do the odd pun in his routine, but you get my point.
Once you understand your perspective on the world and what you want to say, the material will start coming to you – but you gotta write it down!
Rehearsing
Rehearsing (obviously) means practising your jokes repeatedly until you feel confident enough to perform them on stage. It is a crucial part of being a stand-up comedian. It allows you to refine your material, test new ideas and develop your timing and delivery. And when you know your routine inside out, it gives you the freedom to play with the audience; confident in the knowledge, you’ll always be able to go back to your jokes.
Performing
Performing is where you take all of your hard work and put it to the test in front of a live audience. Performing can be both exhilarating and terrifying, but it’s essential to building your skills as a comedian. When you perform, you have to be ready for anything. You have to be able to handle hecklers, adjust your material on the fly, and read the room. And most importantly, you have to be able to connect with your audience and make them laugh. Performing your material in front of a live audience is the only way you’ll ever know if it works, and you must do it as often as you can.
Building Your Career
Building your career as a stand-up comedian takes time and patience. It involves networking, marketing yourself, and constantly working on your craft. It also means being willing to take risks and try new things.
The best way to build your career as a comedian is to perform as much as possible. This means doing open mics and any other gigs you can find – initially for little or no money. It also means collaborating with other comedians, getting to know them and seeing as much live comedy as possible.
Being a stand-up comedian is not easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding. It requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to put yourself out there. But if you have a passion for comedy and are willing to do the work, it can be one of the most fulfilling careers there is.
Good luck!
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