THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF COMEDY
When it comes to stand-up comedy, there are four elements that play a major role. Three of these are obvious, and one, less so.
First, the comedian. Arguably the most crucial piece of the entire puzzle, this person is the writer, director and performer of the work, and a lot of the success of the performance rests on their shoulders.
Second, the content. You think of a premise, you have an experience that affects you in a certain way or you read something that inspires you, and you write these thoughts down, with some set-ups and hopefully, some punchlines. You then craft these into a set and take it to an open mic night to test it out.
Third, the audience. At these open mic nights, you see how the audience responds. If you’re getting the laughs, or the feedback you’re aiming for, you keep the jokes. If not, you try another angle, another line, another word, or another premise altogether.
You do this until you get your tight 5 minutes, and then 10 minutes. You work your way up to your hour and hopefully, there are enough people around the world who want to watch this show. Once you think enough people have seen it, or you are ready to tackle a different set of topics, you repeat the process from scratch.
The aim is to be able to say what you want to say and tell the jokes you want, while making your audience laugh.
I can’t speak for the entire comedy community, but this is my process and that of a lot of comedians I have known and worked with for the past decade.
The true complexity comes with the fourth element – the medium.
Stand-up comedy is meant to be an art form enjoyed “live”. Whether it’s watched online or on television, part of the unique experience is hearing the laughter of the audience in the room at the time of recording. During the show, the audience is almost like a supporting cast member.
There’s also trust. Time is spent building a relationship with the audience during a live segment. During the process, the comedian reads the room, gauges what that group of strangers, in that moment and in that space, is ready for. A form of trust is built, and in their own way, the comedian gets the audience’s permission to take them on a journey. These topics can range from the most banal to the bizarre, from the personal to political, from the trendy to the tragic.