04 May 2012
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Comedy Techniques
This book explains the business of selling your comedy writing to a range of markets, and how understanding the techniques of delivering comedy in those markets is essential if you are going to write saleable material. ...
‘Learning to write funny might lead to performing to a crowd of thousands at Wembley, or may simply liven up your annual family newsletter.’ This quote from Comedy Techniques says a lot about the book’s approach, especially to stand-up comedy and its techniques.
A theme running through the book is the business of selling your comedy writing to a range of markets, and understanding the techniques of delivering comedy in those markets is essential if you are going to write saleable material.
‘Laughter,’ argues Comedy Techniques, ‘is the sound of surprise, and the level of audience laughter is in direct proportion to how surprised they are.’ That is an interesting approach, and it is just one of many that are developed with relevance to the specific markets at which they are targeted. The range of markets explored includes stand-up clubs, theatre, TV sitcom, and political comment.