learning it

I am starting to learn my five minutes of standup material.  Learning material is extremely dull. How people learn hours of it I have no idea.  I have settled on a ‘miserable bastard’ persona which suits me well.  The material consists of one-liners mixed with some fairly personal stuff, which I think is the best way to go.  It’s a bit weird because all the other comedy I have done has been surreal and escapist – this is rooted in reality, something I‘ve never been very keen on.  However, that is what seems to come out when writing for standup so what will be will be will be (will be).  Everything is stacked against you when starting out in standup and I recall Harry Hill saying ‘those first gigs are the most difficult you will ever do.’  Who knows how it will go?  Soon enough, I will know.

stand-up

Am going to try stand-up comedy.  I’ve been doing a class in sketch and character comedy and we did a live show which went well, but in the UK there aren’t a lot of outlets for that sort of thing anymore and I feel I need to adapt.  It’s not something I’m naturally drawn to so I’m going to have to work at it.  I’ve got five minutes of material together – who knows how good it is?  The only way to find out is to go and do it and then change it accordingly.  I also have a shocking memory for remembering lines so that’s something else I need to work on.  Anyway, it’s now or never.  I need to learn the material before I can do anything else so that’s the next step.   

I’m not young – and I have a day job which takes up a lot of time and energy so it’s not going to be easy.  I don’t have a wife or kids so that pressure’s not there, which is good.  I have been doing comedy in some form all my life – podcasts, community radio shows, videos, and a double act with fellow silly person Andy Harland.  However with stand-up you can only rely on yourself, which has advantages and disadvantages.

  

Perhaps in writing this blog other people in a similar position might find it interesting and possibly useful.  It will also hopefully keep me on track.  Am going to document what happens on social media.  That's the idea anyway.   

Off we go.