The world’s largest performing arts festival returns to the Scottish capital for three weeks – and over 4,000 shows – from this weekend. Brian Logan is answering your questions about it now
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TheHound asks: What advice would you give to young people who want to be comedians?
Brian:
Gig. Get up on stage at open mic nights, and give it a go. Over and again. Most comedians would say that it x-hundred gigs’ worth of trying and failing and refining before your comic voice fully emerges (assuming it ever does…) and you learn how to operate in dialogue with the room. Arguably more than other art forms comedy is a skill that can’t really be developed anywhere other than in dialogue with an audience.
So: perform! And go watch lots of comedy too. And don’t try and be anybody but yourself.
Yes, of course a good performance can (substantially) redeem sub-par material. Hard to quantify the relative importance of writing and delivery, and the dream of course is that both are top-notch and working in perfect harmony.
But I’ve enjoyed plenty shows by acts who blaze with performing flair even when their material is so-so. And likewise, shows by acts who write brilliant jokes, even if they don’t sell them as vivaciously as other performers might.
