Five Guidelines for Stand-up Comedians

Stand-up comedy may seem a funny and casual business. You might assume that performing in front of an audience and making them laugh is an easy task to do. This task may seem as light and casual as the environment that it creates however for a stand-up comedian, it’s the exact opposite.
The genre of comedy that requires a comedian to perform on stage and in front of audience is actually one of the hardest kinds of comedy. It requires a lot of practice, time, energy, patience and determination. So to make matters a little less challenging for all the amateur and aspiring stand-up comedians, we have five guidelines, in our article today, which will surely help them in learning stand-up comedy.

1. We do not intend to pressurize you but the most important thing for a stand-up is his/her first impression. Remember that the audience is spending it’s time and resources to come watch you. If you disappoint them in the first chance, there is little hope for you and your career. Recovering from a bad start is a very difficult to do and usually not possible. So make your introductory jokes very catchy and hilarious to grab all of your audience’s attention.
2. Similar to the introduction, your conclusion should also be very powerful. The two things that your audience will remember when they leave the auditorium is your introductory and finishing jokes. So make sure you come up with catchy and funny jokes for the start and end so that your audience are hooked to your performance during and after the show.
3. Giving a strong start and end does not mean that a stand-up comedian does not have to do much in between these two phases. A good stand-up comedian is the one who performs excellently and gives strong punch lines throughout his entire performance.
4. Now moving to another essential aspect of stand-up comedy: the content of the performance. A good stand-up comedian knows his/her audience. He/she knows what the audience requires and makes sure to give them the best return of their time and money. So come up with jokes according to your audience’s temperaments. If you do not have an idea of your audience type then try to stay neutral and discuss general topics. Do not touch topics that might offend any particular group of people.
5. The last guideline for all the aspiring stand-up comedians out there is to practice. Practice your delivery and timing. These two factors matter a lot when you are performing for an audience on stage. Make sure you deliver the punch lines in a suitable pace and manner. Make your body language more comfortable and interactive.