To master stand-up comedy, one not only requires years of hard work and dedication but also requires determination and confidence on stage no matter how many times one fails. With aspiring comedians looking to establish a place for themselves through diverse styles of comedy, crowd-work comedy is a new form of comedy that has gained popularity over the years.
This style of comedy is emerging and Rahul Subramanian’s latest offering ‘Rahul Talks To People’ captures him in this element that has been loved by one and all. To help the aspirants, he shares a few tips on how to ace crowd work format of comedy:
Go With An Open Mind
The crowd-work stand-up comic performs unscripted and spontaneous versions of discussions with the audience during crowd-work shows. Rahul Subramanian, who specializes in this style of comedy, feels that one should approach the situation with an open mind, without having any questions prepared, to be themselves, and most importantly, with self-assurance and trust.
Before The Show, Get A Good Night's Sleep
You'll perform at your best if you slept well before your performance. This will enable you to approach the stage with an open mind and perform at your peak.
Watch Todd Barry
One of the best crowd-work comedians according to Rahul Subramanian. He embarked on a tour without the hilarious jokes and performed complete shows joking with the crowd. On this tour, Mr Barry didn't have a performance prepared; instead, he just made jokes with concertgoers.
Be A Good Listener
Rahul who himself follows this part believes that it is a crucial part when working with crowds. The more you pay attention at the beginning of discussions, the better the payoff will be in the long run. Because there are so many refer backs you can refer to. Everyone loves when you bring back things that they have forgotten but you remember.
Have Rules For Yourself
Be spontaneous when you perform but also pre-set rules for yourself as to what to speak and what not to speak. There will be instances when you'll speak on the spur of the moment, and occasionally you might say things that you might not support or that are not incorrect, but it doesn't mean you support it—people might think you do.
Hope these tips from Rahul Subramanian help in giving a head start to aspiring comedians who’re looking to make a career in crowd-work.
