Dear goldsmiths-ga;
Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question. I always secretly fancied doing this myself but I convinced
myself that I simply didn't have the time. In hindsight, I just didn't
have the guts.
If you want to become a stand-up comedian the first things you need to
do is (A) develop a very thick skin and be ready to take a lot of
criticism ? warranted or not ? and (B) give up your appetite for the
finer things in life, at least initially. Comedians are well known as
starving artists and the road to fame in this industry is thickly
paved with the sad stories of those who came before you. However, if
you are determined, here are some specific things you need to get
started:
A Venue
The major clubs in the UL (and indeed much of the rest of the world)
simply do not showcase unproven talent. You?ll need to find the ones
that do. Start out by trying some stand-up at your local bars or night
spots, if for no other reason but to gain some experience and be able
to say that you?ve been doing it a while. If you want to travel always
from your local area, try hitting the XS Malarkey Comedy Club in
Manchester. They often take first-timers and you won?t be hard pressed
to perform in front of people you know in your own hometown (unless of
course you live there). Call them up and ask them if they have an
?open spot? (in the US this is called ?open mike?). This is usually a
ten or fifteen minute slot in which they allow unknowns a chance to
show their stuff. If they have an open spot it?ll probably be a few
weeks down the road. Be on time. You won?t get paid for your initial
performance but the experience is said to be well worth it.
XS MALARKEY COMEDY CLUB
http://xsmalarkey.tripod.com/
Material
Have some original, funny material that you know perfectly. Practice,
practice, practice. ?Blue humor?, or jokes containing references to
racism, sex, profanity, etc is not a good idea to start out with. It
goes over big with some audiences but when it bombs it bombs badly.
Work your material into the time limit given to you
You should practice delivering your material in a way that it fits the
time limits of your open spot. Some suggest you get one of those
vibrating alert watches so you?ll know when precisely your set is
coming to an end. Going over the free experience and stage time
generously offered to you by your host is a cardinal sin. Don?t ever
do it.
Arrange your material correctly
Save the funniest stuff for last. Carefully arrange your material so
that you end with something marvelously funny that they?ll go home and
repeat to their friends. By making your audience laugh you are in a
sense marketing yourself. Just like a television commercial, if they
remember what you said (your product), they?ll remember YOU (the brand
name).
Record yourself and study the tape
Many comedians say they record themselves doing material and often
make changes to their set that they would not have otherwise noticed.
Watch yourself, your facial expressions and gestures so you can see
what your audience is seeing. This can be an invaluable tool.
Be confident
If you are going to be on stage, be confident on stage. Know what you
are going to say, how you are going to say it. Be yourself. If people
have told you that you are funny you probably are. If YOU are funny
don?t try to be someone else that you THINK is funny. That?s not a
comedian, that?s an impressionist.
Take chances
Not with questionable material but take chances with YOURSELF. Enter
some competitions and get a feel for what?s out there. If you win one
(or more) you?ll build both confidence and reputation. Talent scouts,
club owners, and promoters attend these events and who knows, you may
be ?discovered?.
Be an audience member
Attend clubs and competitions that you are not planning to perform at.
Watch the comedians and see what they do. Talk to some of them if you
can. They?ll probably be happy to talk to you about the business.
Don?t be disheartened by suggestions that you find another vocation.
Many may offer that advice but they do it themselves anyway. It?s a
labor of love with some people and if you are no exception then you
probably won?t be swayed by their stories about starvation and
poverty.
Take a course or attend a workshop if you can
Yes, there are comedy courses in college and local theater. Here?s one
at the University of Kent for example:
EDUCATION: DEGRE IN STAND-UP COMEDY
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/360811.stm
And a workshop at JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB
http://www.jongleurs.co.uk/functions/onestopWok.html
and many others
COMEDYWORKS2
http://www.pepperstock.co.uk/comedyworks/comedyworks2.html
Read some books written by those who know
Like these found at AMAZON:
ZEN AND THE ART OF STAND-UP COMEDY, by Jay Sankey
SUCCESSFUL STAND-UP COMEDY: ADVICE FROM A COMEDY WRITER by Gene Perret
STAND-UP!: ON BEING A COMEDIAN, by Oliver Double
STAND-UP COMEDY: THE BOOK, by Judy Carter
STEP BY STEP TO STAND-UP COMEDY, by Steve Allen and Greg Dean
COMIC INSIGHTS: THE ART OF STAND-UP COMEDY, by Franklyn Ajaye
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878300740/026-6177209-5064431
Above all, be funny, be persistent, don?t take yourself too seriously
and enjoy how it feels to make the world laugh ? even when you
occasionally don?t.
Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any
questions about my research please post a clarification request prior
to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final
comments and I look forward to working with you again in the near
future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher
INFORMATION SOURCES
SO YOU WANNA BE A STAND-UP COMEDIAN?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A676181
FANCY BECOMING A COMEDIAN?
http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/competition/lion31.asp
XS MALARKEY COMEDY CLUB
http://xsmalarkey.tripod.com/
EDUCATION: DEGRE IN STAND-UP COMEDY
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/360811.stm
JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB
http://www.jongleurs.co.uk/functions/onestopWok.html
COMEDYWORKS2
http://www.pepperstock.co.uk/comedyworks/comedyworks2.html
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878300740/026-6177209-5064431
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINES USED:
Google ://www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
COMEDIAN
STAND UP COMEDY
WORKSHOPS
CLASSES
TIPS
POINTERS
OPEN SPOT |
