Introduction

If you have applied the information in this course — from stand-up comedy material development all the way through the professional rehearsal phase…

Then you should be prepared to take the stage with confidence.

But there are a few other things that I want to cover that will help you stand head and shoulders above the other comedians wherever you may be performing and have the best show possible.

The first thing I am going to tell you is this:

You should get into the habit video recording every single performance. This will be a critical step you must take in order to engage in performance improvement activities that are covered in the final Core Training Module.

I’ve said this before and it certainly bears repeating:

Headline level stand-up comedy material is honed over multiple performances.

The fastest way to reduce the number of performances it will take you to slay an audience is having a video recording and knowing how to skillfully review that video for performance rapid improvement.

With that said, here are a few performing tips you need to know…

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Estimating The Amount Of Material You Need To Deliver For A Show

Because audience sizes can vary significantly and respond differently, there’s no real way to determine with pinpoint accuracy how much material you will need to deliver in any given performance.

However, you CAN estimate how much material will need for any show.

Here’s how you can do that:

If you are using a word processor (like Microsoft Word) to structure your stand-up comedy…

A page of material in Single Line Format using Arial 14 font is approximately 2.5-3 minutes of stand-up comedy material depending upon audience size and the laughter response you generate.

You can also divide the number of words in any bit or chunk by your normal speech rate and that will tell you how many minutes of talking you have (excluding time for laughter).

I’m telling you this because you should prepare to deliver stand-up comedy material relative to the stage time you get to deliver it.

In other words…

You will end up making your life harder if you prepare to deliver 10 minutes of stand-up comedy material but you are only going to be afforded 4 minutes of stage time.

Don’t get me wrong — you should always be ready to perform a little more material than you are given stage time for because if a particular bit or chunk is not working well, you can have “optional” material you can launch into.

But what I have just provided you is the best way I know of to estimate how much material you will need to deliver in any given show.

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Getting To The Stage

There are few things more exciting than to get your turn on stage.

But how you approach the stage matters, keeping this in mind:

Audiences can see you as you are working your way to the microphone on the stage and begin to immediately begin to analyze you on conscious or subconscious basis.

If you rush or run onto the stage, audiences can pass judgment on the level of confidence you have — before you have even spoken a single word.

Here’s my advice:

Be ready to walk onto the stage in a way that natural for you, but DO NOT RUN or RUSH to get to the microphone.

Not being in a hurry will give you the maximum appearance of confidence in the audience’s eyes.

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NEVER Use Notes On Stage

You NEVER want to use notes on stage, even though many comedians do.

Here’s why and I have covered this before:

The primary audience control tool that you have at your disposal is eye contact.

The second you take your eyes off an audience to look at notes:

The audience immediately knows that you are an unprepared amateur, not a polished professional. And the lack of laughter you will get will reflect that.

Not only that, but when you look at notes on stage, you severely reduce or eliminate your ability to gain momentum with your stand-up comedy material.

If you want to be a pro in the eyes of the audience, NEVER use notes on stage.

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Starting Your Act

Many comedians waste precious time at the very beginning of their act with stuff like:

Are you having a good time? Are you excited? Is it time to kick it up a notch?

Blah, blah, blah.

Most comedians don’t know what you do which is this:

When you start your stand-up comedy act, you are already in the middle of a conversation with friends and it is simply your turn to talk.

Let me put this another way:

Once you have been introduced and you have the microphone in hand, you simply start talking about the first topic or subject you are going to say and express to an audience — no other “introductory” information is required:

I was at the mall yesterday and…

I was watching this commercial on TV…

My in-laws stopped in last weekend…

Just keep this in mind:

The first minute of your stand-up comedy act is critical and sets the pace for the rest of your act and can impact the momentum you can develop.

Subsequently, you want to get into what you are going to say and reacting to what you are telling your audience (your punchlines) as quickly as possible.

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Wrap Up

One thing you must not lose sight of this:

You should be having fun when you stand before an audience.

If you are adequately prepared to deliver your stand-up comedy material, you are already head and shoulders above MOST comedians you will run into.

Make the most of every single performance. As your stage experience broadens, you will find that delivering a powerful and memorable stand-up comedy routine will become easier and easier.

You should also realize this:

You will be hitting the stage far more prepared and ready to make an impact than most comedians if you have applied all the information provided in these training modules.

So get some stage time under your belt and get ready for the next phase in the process of developing and delivering headliner level stand-up comedy which is performance improvement.

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