How to prepare your first longer set
Whether it's your first 10, 20 or 60 minutes - this applies.
It’s very flattering to be asked to do a longer, and hopefully paid set. Or perhaps you’ve decided to do a solo or split-bill show? The principal is exactly the same.
Are you ready to do a longer set?
If an established club has asked you to headline then you must be pretty good, so this doesn’t apply to you. It is probably going to be very nerve-wracking, but that’s the feeling of “stepping up”. Follow my “How to write a killer headline set” tips below and you’ll do fine!
If you have decided to put out your own show before you have started headlining, you might be jumping the gun. I don’t want to be a spoilsport here, its great to challenge yourself and put yourself out there - yadda yadda. But with comedy it’s essential you don’t just do shows in front of receptive audiences. I expand on this here:
I know an hour seems like a great achievement like running an marathon, but don’t rush to do it. You’ll probably end up shitting out a bunch of sloppy material just to fill time. This will not sharpen your skills! Writing killer air-tight 5s should be your first goal.
You do not need a theme
Please don’t try and hammer all of your material into, or write around a theme. I have a harsh truth for you - nobody gives a shit about your theme! This isn’t a class presentation, you’re not going to be marked on cohesion. You might notice that famous comedians give their Netflix shows pretty generic names like “Selective Outrage”, “Queen Chandelier”, “3 In The Morning”. And their special is a mix of all their best material that year. A good name is one that is memorable and intriguing, and not generic. Leave the narrative themes for when you are so bored of killing at theatre gigs and you need a new angle.
I bang on about this way more here (spoiler: structure sucks).
Please for the love of all that is good and holy do not call your show “Trigger Warning” or “Cancelled” or similar unless your plan is to have only brain dead swamp people attend your gigs 😬.
How to write a killer headline set
Step 1: Create a 5 minute set that kills in every single room
So many people miss this vital step and go for quantity over quality. If you look at stand-ups doing a set on a late night American talk-show, it’s their killer 5. You want to create a water-tight killer 5.
Step 2: Create another 5 minute set that kills in every room
Do you see where I am going with this? A longer set should be a string of killer 5 minute sets. No they don't have to be related, or flow together. They just need to be so funny people people can't catch their breath, capeesh?
dear caroline,
another banger!
love this!: "with comedy it’s essential you don’t just do shows in front of receptive audiences."
and this!: "Please for the love of all that is good and holy do not call your show 'Trigger Warning' or 'Cancelled' or similar unless your plan is to have only brain dead swamp people attend your gigs 😬."
thank you for sharing as always!
love
myq