What is Holding You Back

What Is Holding You Back?

by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com)   Is your comedy career better than it was one year ago? Are you where you thought you would be? Take a minute and think before you answer. Wait. One … more … second. Okay. If you immediately answered YES – congratulations! You are moving towards your goals and making progress. Let’s keep that momentum going…

Best-Travel-Apps-for comedians

MUST HAVE TRAVEL APPS FOR COMEDIANS [EP. 025]

Every road comic knows the frustration of leaving town with hours to spare only to find themselves stuck in traffic, construction or an airport for a rediculous amount of time. On the road, time is your enemy and technology is your friend. We discuss some of our favorite travel apps. We also discover a few new…

Shold a host do crowd work

Should a Host do Crowd Work?

by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) This question was asked as a follow up to the post on hosting tips last week. As with nearly every comedy topic the short answer is, “find what works best for you by experimenting and see how it goes.” So that’s one answer. More specifically, I feel the host (or as…

Unwritten Comedy Rules School Of Laughs

UNWRITTEN RULES OF COMEDY [EP. 024]

  Be funny. That’s really the only rule in stand-up comedy, right? It is a biggie, and it trumps everything. The funnier you are the more you can get away with, no doubt. But there are countless unwritten rules of comedy. Most of these unspoken expectations are unsaid because only an idiot would have to…

how to emcee a comedy show

How to Emcee a Comedy Show

by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) Performing stand-up comedy is one of the most exhilarating jobs on the planet. However, the job of the emcee (or host, or as they say across the pond “compere”) is often overlooked. I am here to tell you that having a great host can make a bad show good, and a…

Traits of the COmedy Greats

TRAITS OF THE COMEDY GREATS [EP. 023]

Great comedians come in all shapes and sizes. And they all excel in one or more of these “traits of the comedy greats.” Some combine three or more traits, while others get by with just one or two. What traits are we talking about? Brilliant Material Ability to connect with an audience Perseverance Unique Delivery Sharp Comic…

How Much Should I charge for my comedy Show

HOW MUCH SHOULD I CHARGE? [EP. 022]

Understanding your value is the only way to be confident in charging a “full fee” for your show. In the comedy clubs, you have very little (if any) leverage. You are told what they have to pay and you take it or leave it. Check out this episode! If you are pursuing corporate, fund raiser,…

How to Start Your on comedy Show

How To Start Your Own Comedy Show – For New Comics

by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) Are you in the middle of nowhere? Are you miles from a city with a comedy night, let alone a comedy club? Do you want to start putting shows together to get some stage time? You are not alone, even though you may feel isolated. Joshua, a podcast listener from Iowa,…

SCOTT DUNN writing comedy for TV and Radio-

WRITING COMEDY FOR TV, RADIO [EP. 021]

Have you ever wondered how to get into writing comedy for TV, Radio or other comedians? Comedy writer Scott Dunn has written for such television shows as Foxworthy’s Big Night Out, The CMT Music Awards, The Larry “The Cable Guy” Christmas Special, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, and The Dove Awards. Scott is…