It’s not called "stand-up point-making"
And more sharp comedy advice via John Roy.
Coming soon to Narrowsburg, NY:
John Roy is a funny comedian who writes wisely about standup at Vulture and elsewhere.
His latest is on Chris Fleming.
Fleming leaps past other wry wordsmiths with his constant, unrelenting effort to wring every last drop of laughter out of every single premise. Whether the audience is onboard with the topic or not, Fleming ensures that every moment he’s onstage, something is actively entertaining the crowd, be it a face, voice, absurd movement, Katt Williams–level act-out, perfectly timed music cue, or just continued exposure to his over-the-top hair and wardrobe.
More from Roy on Vulture: Michael Che’s ‘Civil-Rights Update’ Will Always Be Timeless
As comedian and comedy historian Mike Bridenstine once whispered to me as we watched a comic bomb with strident material about the war on terror, “It’s not called ‘stand-up point-making.’”
Add’l wisdom from Roy: Stack it up so the laughs get bigger and bigger.
When you get a long bit with a lot of punchlines that all work, even if the order makes sense, do one more pass, pull it apart, stack it up so the laughs get bigger and bigger and close on the biggest, and rewrite the segueways so the new order works. It’s worth it.
More of his writing about comedy at Vulture. And his online comedy class is a great resource for newbies. And if you’re in Chicago, he’s doing a live workshop on Feb. 22 where attendees learn from great bits.
