Meanwhile, the smaller clubs are filling up, with audiences as well as aspirants. How can we make sense of it all? This new edition of Getting the Joke gives an insider's look at the spectrum of modern comedy, re-examining the world of stand-up in the internet age.
Drawing on his acclaimed first edition, Oliver Double focuses in greater detail on the US scene and its comedians such as David Cross, Sarah Silverman, Louis CK, Demetri Martin and Margaret Cho ; the 'DIY' comedy circuit and its celebrated apostles and visionaries, from Josie Long to Stewart Lee; the growing importance of the solo stand-up show; the role played by Twitter including an interview with the organiser of the world's first comedy gig on Twitter , and the driving force that is the TV guest slot, be it on Mock the Week or Live at the Apollo.
With expanded sections on joke construction, as well as ways to challenge the audience, and a host of new and updated exercises to guide the aspiring comedian, this new edition of Getting the Joke is the only book to combine the history of stand-up comedy with an analysis of the elements and methods that go into its creation. Featuring a range of interviews with working comedians — from circuit veterans to new kids on the block — combined with the author's vast experience, this is a must read for any aspiring stand-up comedian.
But did you also know he was regarded as one of the funniest people in Roman society as well? Five hundred years after his death, in the twilight of antiquity, the writer Macrobius ranks him alongside the comic playwright Plautus as the one of the two greatest wits ever.
That larger work covered the whole of rhetoric and effective public speaking and debate. However, contained within it, is a long section focused on the effective use of humor in public speaking. In it, Cicero is concerned not just with various kinds of individual jokes, but with jokes that are advantageous in social situations. He advises readers on how to make the most effective use of wit to win friends, audiences, and achieve their overall ambitions.
Cicero wants to teach his readers how to tell a joke without looking like a buffoon, and how to prevent or avoid jokes from backfiring. Hence, he does give scores of examples of jokes-some of which are timeless and translate easily, others that involve puns in Latin that challenged the translator's creativity.
There are many books on writing comedy, so why not invest a few pounds in what amounts to a masterclass from a professional. Read some scripts. Try breaking down and understanding how the script was put together and what makes it strong. Is is the characters? The pithiness of the dialogue? The surprising jokes? Or that hilarious custard pie fight on page 7?
Watch some sketches online. Try looking at sketches from the perspective of a writer. Look for common structure, rhythms and mechanics. Mitchell and Webb sketches e. Some may even have found solutions. Why not try teaming up with that writer you just met the other day who you got on really well with? When you find someone good, learn from them.
While this is true, what they really do is surprise people. Comedians are nothing if not masters of language. The second most important weapon for all comedians is, by far, honesty. People like comedians because they offer a unique point of view and often, that point of view comes from within.
Comedians are totally honest in their material for better or worse, which is another skill that must be crafted. As one of the more unique creative professions, comedians are essentially on there own. Outside of an audience and a microphone, there are no real tools that you need to do this job. You simply need to be able to take an idea and convey it in a funny way, which itself requires you to understand WHY something is funny in the first place.
You will often work in comedy clubs and other public places in front of large groups of people, which will require you to be very comfortable on stage. Honing your skills on classmates and gaining critique from professors is invaluable. Critiques challenge you to learn and sharpen your skills, and a network of friends and collaborators can stimulate your creative juices to think beyond what you already know.
Improv acting classes offered by some colleges provide students with opportunities to become less rigid and more liberated on stage, and to get over stage fright. Although there is no specific degree for comedians, non-credit classes can also provide you training in comedic styles and writing jokes. You may even be able to find courses that teach you skills to navigate the audition process and how to book performances.
One of the many ways in which comedy is a unique art profession is because it may be the most subjective of them all. You can tell the same joke to different people and they all may have different opinions about why it is funny, or if they think it is funny at all. The key to success involves learning why people laugh at things, and then use those ideas to your advantage when telling a joke or crafting a story. Thankfully, there are thousands of hours of comedic performances that you can study to better understand aspects of comedy, like comedic style, delivery, timing, and subject matter.
0コメント