Anyone ever done stand up comedy properly? Advice

[uncle bob]

Always wanted a stab at it after visiting the glee club quite regularly down the bay and thinking, "I reckon I could fo better than that" after a comedian has left the stage. Its a bit hit and miss right?
Anyway, last week an advert come up on my fb feed to be trained up to be a comedian for 8 weeks by a professional in aid of Cancer research.
The gig is on the 27th of November I believe, I'm going to learn more in the next few weeks of what it's all about and have stupidly agreed to sign up and have set a target of £300 sponsorship money.
I am currently on £230 I think.
Now being a taxi driver for the last 24 years I have many many interesting stories to tell.
So my quandary is, do I go down this route which I find is natural?

I have one pearler of a story which i think is funny, and will definitely be long enough to last for what I only presume should be about 5 minutes of stage time. Or should I go down the route of making up my own gags which I have started trying to write myself and not just googling to help me.

Obviously this day and age it's a no no stealing other comedians gags, so I'm absolutely bricking it that I'm going to balls it up in front of all my friends and family, and also the sell out audience which is going to be at the glee club on the night.
Any advice would be grateful as right now I'm thinking, oh shit, what the Hell have I done?
It's OK being funny in front of your mates but in front of a huge audience it's absolutely daunting but exhilarating the thought of finally getting a chance to do what I've always dreamed of.

[life on mars]

Always wanted a stab at it after visiting the glee club quite regularly down the bay and thinking, "I reckon I could fo better than that" after a comedian has left the stage. Its a bit hit and miss right?
Anyway, last week an advert come up on my fb feed to be trained up to be a comedian for 8 weeks by a professional in aid of Cancer research.
The gig is on the 27th of November I believe, I'm going to learn more in the next few weeks of what it's all about and have stupidly agreed to sign up and have set a target of £300 sponsorship money.
I am currently on £230 I think.
Now being a taxi driver for the last 24 years I have many many interesting stories to tell.
So my quandary is, do I go down this route which I find is natural?

I have one pearler of a story which i think is funny, and will definitely be long enough to last for what I only presume should be about 5 minutes of stage time. Or should I go down the route of making up my own gags which I have started trying to write myself and not just googling to help me.

Obviously this day and age it's a no no stealing other comedians gags, so I'm absolutely bricking it that I'm going to balls it up in front of all my friends and family, and also the sell out audience which is going to be at the glee club on the night.
Any advice would be grateful as right now I'm thinking, oh shit, what the Hell have I done?
It's OK being funny in front of your mates but in front of a huge audience it's absolutely daunting but exhilarating the thought of finally getting a chance to do what I've always dreamed of.

Just follow the Bernard Manning route, it will be plain sailing after that ..

Good luck, great cause , admire yer pluck..

[uncle bob]

One of my gags I written and you'll all be thinking ffs. Stick to the story telling. 😂😂

Is anyone here on tinder?

Well I've put my profile picture as a cigarette.
Cos I'm hoping I can get a match!

(I know shit right) 🤣🤣

But so far I've written about 10 gags but as I've never done this before my mind has gone blank.

But I know as time goes on I'll think of more and more when I just hear trigger words on the radio etc.

I'm trying to write 2 gags a day.

[uncle bob]

Selfish plug by me but if you'd like to sponsor me even a quid I'd be absolutely humbled by your generosity.
I hate these things but honestly, I am well outta my comfort zone now and I am stressing big time at what I have done.
Cancer research is a charity close to my heart having a mate who is dying with it currently and knowing lots of relatives who have had the big c and no longer with me.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ian-Oldfield1

Cheers for allowing this. ❤️❤️

[uncle bob]

And if the ccmb community want to help out with an original gag or two and it is genuinely original and good, I'd happily add it to my set.

[Cardiff-Cal]

I’m no stand-up but what I will say is five minutes talking is way longer than you may think, especially if you’re a little nervous and talking fast. A solid five minute set is seen as quite an achievement in the stand up world from what I’ve heard. A lot start out with the aim of trying to get a solid 2 minute set.

[mrbluejay]

I saw the ad as well and contemplated doing it.

I did a bit of stand up a few years ago and entered a National newcomers competition, Laughing Horse Comedy, previous winners have been Greg James & Rhod Gilbert. Got to the semis and had to go to Earls Court, did ok but didn’t get through. What struck me that night was how many gigs the others had already done, I’d done 8-10 and they had done over 100. It’s a great buzz when it goes well, my advice is you cannot do too much prep. Good luck
.

[uncle bob]

Cheers mate great advice

[uncle bob]

Greg James as in radio 1? But he's not funny?

[Canton Kev]

I’d say definitely don’t do a 5 minute story. Just personal preference but short and snappy is funnier imo.

Also you need to be both a good storyteller and have a good enough story to keep people interested and not thinking “skip to the punchline”.

Good luck, hope it goes well.

[uncle bob]

Definitely told the story a hundred times it involves picking up 4 blokes who were off there head on pills and taking them back to to blackwood at about 2am Only to realise the guy in the front had nicked my mobile phone when they got out.

Lots of build up to how I knew where they lived, how the next fare I had went back to blackwood from Cardiff, and me entering there house with a hammer in my hand and not finding my phone but seeing the guy who was sat in front of my taxi fast asleep on sofa and no sign of my phone.
So I did what anyone would do?
I took there PlayStation and all the games that was plugged into the TV set.
Next morning I went to work I couldn't get the car to reverse out of my drive,

My Mrs was waving goodbye to me on the doorstep.

As I looked down my phone was under the accelerator pedal which wasn't there the night before.
I picked it up and waived it at the Mrs open mouthed with my hand over my mouth.
With her screaming I better take that effing PlayStation back now! And a lot more.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

I’d say definitely don’t do a 5 minute story. Just personal preference but short and snappy is funnier imo.

Also you need to be both a good storyteller and have a good enough story to keep people interested and not thinking “skip to the punchline”.

Good luck, hope it goes well.

I’d do the 5 minute story but plan in a couple of spin off gags before you get to the punch line, if there is one that is. If your story is good enough it may not even need a punchline.

I’ll happily sponsor you but would you be willing to share a video recording of your set in return?

[uncle bob]

I'm hoping they allow me too mate. I've been to the glee in the past and no video recording equipment allowed but as I'm the one on stage I'm hoping I get a keepsake of the night obviously.

[Tuerto]

I'm hoping they allow me too mate. I've been to the glee in the past and no video recording equipment allowed but as I'm the one on stage I'm hoping I get a keepsake of the night obviously.

Why don't you do a parody of a stereotypical cab driver, but with a Cardiff twist?

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I’m no stand-up but what I will say is five minutes talking is way longer than you may think, especially if you’re a little nervous and talking fast. A solid five minute set is seen as quite an achievement in the stand up world from what I’ve heard. A lot start out with the aim of trying to get a solid 2 minute set.

Agreed, 5 minutes is a lot longer when you’re speaking. Feels like forever

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I spend ages writing jokes for a stand up gig. It was no laughing matter.

[NYCBlue]

I went to an open mic last night. Don't use a mobile phone. If you're going to tell a story, have a big ending. Be prepared for complete silence.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

I’d say definitely don’t do a 5 minute story. Just personal preference but short and snappy is funnier imo.

Also you need to be both a good storyteller and have a good enough story to keep people interested and not thinking “skip to the punchline”.

Good luck, hope it goes well.

Why not start with…. I’m a Cardiff City fan and a member of a fans messageboard… Let me tell you about some of the characters… you’d probably have enough material for 2 hours of stand up 🤣

[the other bob wilson]

I’d do the 5 minute story but plan in a couple of spin off gags before you get to the punch line, if there is one that is. If your story is good enough it may not even need a punchline.

I’ll happily sponsor you but would you be willing to share a video recording of your set in return?

I agree, the point made earlier about how long five minutes is under circumstances like this seems a good one and so it seems to make sense that if you think you have a story you can spin out for that long, then go with that with a a few of your own jokes thrown in to keep it flowing.

I should say mind that my personal experience and expertise when it comes to stand up amounts to a big, fat zero.

[mrbluejay]

Greg James as in radio 1? But he's not funny?

Greg Davies, the massive guy that does Taskmaster

[WJ99mobile]

I listen to podcasts of comedians all day long.

They say just get up there and keep doing it even when you bomb.

A trainer will train you in the way they think is funny but might not be you. It’s like a degree in entrepreneurship.

Love Glee down the bay too it’s a brilliant venue.

[lardy]

Make sure you do research to see what audiences want, like and expect nowadays, whether it's on telly, YouTube, Netflix or live.

A lot of it is in delivery and performance, so I don't mean this to sound harsh as I've only seen it written down, but the punchline of that story probably isn't enough of a surprise to cut it on stage, even if it slays people down the pub. If you stopped people halfway through and asked them to guess the ending, I bet most would say "the phone hadn't really been stolen"

EDIT: having said that, the point of the course is to make your material good enough for performance on stage, I guess.

[lardy]

I'm hoping they allow me too mate. I've been to the glee in the past and no video recording equipment allowed but as I'm the one on stage I'm hoping I get a keepsake of the night obviously.

I had a friend who did something similar and he posted the final video on Facebook so you might be alright.

[cityhammer]

Done a few gigs, between 8 and 15 minutes in length. Great feeling, but scary before you do it. Didnt tell gags as such, just my twist on real life really, seemed more natural.

[Re-sign Carl Dale]

What an opportunity - would definitely go for a story (or two) rather than a string of gags and puns.

Is the event open to the public?