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I hope you enjoyed the performances by Anthony Jeselnik and James Adomian in the previous weeks. We wanted to showcase different comedy styles and the basic structure of jokes.
In the Anthony Jeselnik video, we wanted you to observe the setup/punch structure in its simplest form. It’s a classic formula where the setup creates an expectation and the punchline delivers a surprising fulfillment of that expectation. Anthony’s work provides a clear and funny example of this joke form.
I also wanted you to see a deadpan comedy style to contrast with Greg Giraldo’s emotive style. Both styles are equally valid, and it’s important to understand their differences. James Adomian’s performance demonstrates how these essential structural elements can be cleverly hidden in a conversational style.
Two weeks down, hopefully six plus gigs in the books and probably more comics than you’ve seen in your entire life. But let’s be honest, they won’t have all been good.
Now, let’s discuss the comedians you saw during the past two weeks. Take a moment to think about the other performers you witnessed at the Open Mics. Who stood out as the best? Analyse their set and answer the following questions:
Now, let’s switch gears and discuss the least successful comedian you saw this week. Answer the same questions in reverse order, just like we did in the previous week.
Review the funny things you said or wrote down during the week. Can any of them be turned into jokes?
Try to transform as many as you can into bits for this week’s set. Remember, spend no more than five hours writing this material.
If you haven’t been writing anything down, start doing so. Writing down anything with a hint of humour, irony, or something out of the ordinary is essential for building a successful act.
Look over the jokes you’ve performed so far and identify your best joke. Even if it’s only been two weeks, choose the joke that consistently gets the most laughs.
Read it over, listen to any recordings you have, and ask yourself how you can improve its effectiveness, emphasising important points with your voice and using movement to communicate it more effectively. Answer these questions for all the jokes that got laughs in your act.
Now, let’s reflect on your performances this week. Your stage performance is just as important as your writing when it comes to being an effective comedian.
You need to actively think about the non-verbal elements in your act. How are you saying your jokes? What are you doing while delivering them?
It’s not about being overly theatrical, but rather enhancing the impact of your writing. Consider how your stage character feels about what they are saying and convey those emotions using your face, body, and voice.
Take a moment to analyse your performances and answer the following questions:
Remember, different comedians have different approaches to emotion in their acts. Stick with your chosen approach throughout your set to allow the audience to understand your point of view and connect with your comedy.
Write down the jokes from your first two weeks that worked and the ones that didn’t.
Analyse the jokes that didn’t work and determine why they fell short. Consider changes in performance or writing that could make them successful.
Break down each joke into declarative sentences to understand its foundation and identify areas that need fixing.
Create your set list for the open mics this week. Review the jokes from Week One and Week Two that worked and select the ones you want to perform again.
Repeating the same bits helps you become more confident and refine your timing and delivery. Practice makes a huge difference in improving your jokes.
The “Shit Sandwich” structure in stand-up comedy involves placing your best jokes at the beginning and end of your performance (the “bread”) and putting your newer, less certain material in the middle.
By starting strong and ending with another proven joke, you build audience confidence and leave a positive impression. This structure allows you to take risks while ensuring the audience’s enjoyment. It’s a flexible and straightforward approach to organising your set list.
Rearrange your setlist into a shit sandwich!
Here’s some more standup for you to watch:
As always we want you to reflect on this and answer these questions:
We want you to experience as many comedic styles as possible, you’ll start to identify with certain things that you like and you can draw inspiration!
Create a list of emotions in your jokes. Convey them clearly, verbally and non-verbally.
If emotional viewpoints feel overwhelming right now, focus on what you learned last week before adding new elements.
It’s okay to take a week off, but keep attending Open Mics, writing new jokes, and refining your set. When ready, consider these elements for joke development:
Emotionality is KEY to connecting with an audience, we’ll explore more on this in later weeks but this is a great place to start.
This is an adaptation of the free 12week course Jon Roy offers HERE
Learn more about the Comedy Basics here
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