Comedy workshop

A comedy workshop is a training option for people considering starting the performance of standup comedy, or those with some performing experience who wish to refine or change their comedy act. It can also be a recreational activity for people who wish to experience what it is like to perform standup comedy within a sheltered environment rather than in a public comedy club.

Comedy workshops are typically led by experienced comedians (i.e. those who have considerable experience of performing standup comedy in front of a live audience). They should also have training skills in order to be able to guide new entrants into this performance artform and assist them with gaining the required confidence to perform in front of the other workshops participants. The training skills and a supportive, coaching approach is as important as the performing experience of the person who tuns the comedy workshop.

Comedy workshops may be run for a short period e.g. half or one day or a longer period e.g. once weekly for several weeks or months. The longer period workshops provide continuity and allow progressive development to be achieved, often resulting in a "show" to an invitied audience at the end. The shorter period workshops require less commitment and are more suitable for people travelling longer distances to the workshop.

The content of a comedy workshop will often start with a number of improvisational games to warm people up and help them lose any inhibitions. A typical game of this type will involve two performers who have to act out roles suggested by the workshop leader or the other workshops participants, in an often bizarre situation or setting.

While there is no recognised standard syllabus in what is very much a cottage industry, comedy workshops should cover most or all of the following:

Performing with confidence
Dealing with hecklers
Comedy competitions
Memorising material
Timing & Pacing
A career in comedy
Getting an open spot

At some stage in the comedy workshop, participants will usually have the opportunity to perform solo with original material. This allows feedback from both the workshop leader and participants, on performance and content.

Some comedy workshops will focus more on writing material while others concentrate on the performance aspects - and the ones which run over a longer period will cover both.

The use of video within comedy workshops is a more recent development which allows both a useful perspective for the workshop participaint when receiving feedback, and can be used as a permanent record of the session to take home and review or show to family and friends.

Views differ about the usefulness or otherwise of a comedy workshop as a training device for budding comedians. Some experienced comedians feel (rightly) that there is no substiture for live performance to truly develop a comedian - however others feel that a comedy workshop can be useful, although very dependent on the experience of the workshop leader.

The quality of a comedy workshop can vary widely, so a recommendation from a previous participant is worth having.

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