Would you love to be a stand-up comedian? People may tell you that this is only a pipe dream and that it is difficult to get into the comedy world. But this does not mean it is impossible. With dedication and passion, you can achieve your goal and entertain audiences. You just have to be committed.
In particular, something you will have to do is develop your own comedy style. This is how people are going to know you. Plus, it will be what brings people to your shows. But how do you develop your own style? Here are some tips that can help you do this.
Watch Shows for Inspiration
The first thing you want to do when you are starting your career as a comedian is to observe other professionals. In other words, you should go to shows regularly and watch stand-up comedians in their home environment. You can see what you like about their shows and understand what direction you could move in. What’s more, you can learn about the audience and what they are responsive to.
So, head to your local comedy club for some inspiration. For example, if you are in the London area, you should check out Comedy Carnival. You can visit https://comedycarnival.co.uk/ and see what shows are on offer. With regular comedy shows to attend, you can start to work on your own style and what you like.
Start on Your Materials
Every stand-up comedian has the material that they work from during a show. While this does not necessarily mean a script, there are prompts and stories they tend to follow to entertain the audience. So, this is something that you are going to have to start on. You want to prepare your materials so that you are ready for a show.
Essentially, your materials can be anything you want. For example, you can start by thinking about personal experiences and stories you have that you want to share and use to entertain people. For some, this is going to help develop a style you like and understand what you like to talk about. Your humour will develop from there.
Practice in the Mirror
Yes, you have to put yourself out there when you first start in comedy. But what you do not want to do is go up on stage without being prepared. This is how you get stage fright and this can really affect your confidence. So, in order to develop your comedy style, think about practising yourself first. Work from your materials and rehearse in front of a mirror.
When you are in front of a mirror, you can act and see where your material leads you. You can practice your facial expressions and body language, which can have an effect on the jokes and stories you tell. Indeed, there are some comedians that are really funny because they are expressive or awkward on stage.
Sign Up at Open Mic Nights
Once you feel like you are prepared with some material, as well as have practised your stories, it will be time to hit open mic nights. These are the perfect opportunities to test out your style and see how things go. It will seem very scary at first and as if you are out of your comfort zone. But this is all part of the learning process and getting the style you want.
So, try to go to as may open mic nights as possible. You can use the same material and perfect it, or you can test out some new material. Either way, this is going to be the way you get on stage and really make some progress as a comedian. You will find your feet eventually and start to love the thrill of being on stage. You can see what the audience responds to and whether to continue with certain jokes or not.
