Trying Something New

So I tried to do Stand Up Comedy the other day… for the first time…

And to be honest, it went far better than anticipated.

I’ve considered myself to be naturally funny to a degree and I’m usually at my best around others to bounce off of, working with only my own material on stage, however, was a different story entirely.

But looking back, I already had all the tools for success outside of a developed sense of humour.

Firstly, an audience of twenty-odd? No problem. I’ve faced bigger audience’s on bigger stages, Gang Show in my early tweens wiped away any chance of things like stage fright setting in.

Talking on stage for extended periods of time? I’ve done many plays with many hefty monologues to carry. My thespian roots have run deep for quite some time, honing my acting skills more and more each time.

My only enemies were time and improv.

According to second opinions, I’ve been perfectly fine with improvised comedy, but I’ve never found it to be one of my stronger suits and despite having a skeleton of material to work with, flowing through it naturally is not an easy task.

Compressing some of your best stuff in a specific timespan is not easy either. Initially, I was given six minutes as a guideline. But when I was told on the night that I could go as long as I please, the sky was the limit and it was quite liberating, like chains being removed and it was easier to perform as a result.

But at the end of the day, it all depends on how comfortable you are on stage. Your comfort and your confidence upon the roundhouse and before an audience can make or break you.

And with prior experience, I have proven to myself (and others) that when the spotlight is on me, I can indeed command a crowd.

In summary, the night was a success and I may soon find myself splitting ribs sometime in the future. The moral of the story I guess, is to follow your nose and never be afraid to try something new, especially when you’re sure you have advantages that can carry you up and beyond.

Thank you for reading and have a beautiful day!

• Daniel