The old-new-old sandwich

Sandwich new material in between bits you know work.

In The Stand-up Set Cycle, From Notebook to TV Special, the hilarious Ronny Chieng talks about how he works new bits into a set:

Once new bits are ready, they get incorporated into a 10- to 20-minute club set, but with a cushion, Chieng says. “I open with some new stuff I know works, and then I’ll do the ‘new’ new stuff that you don’t know for sure if it works, and then back to stuff you know works. It’s an old-new-old sandwich.” Jokes that make the club sets are not locked down. “When you know you won’t fall on your ass with it, you experiment more, branch out with more bits related to the core joke,” he explains. As the set grows, comedians start booking longer shows, first in clubs and then on tour in theaters.

People remember how you start and how you finish while the middle is just a haze.