Observational comedy is one of the most trending forms of comedy. The acceptance of observational comedy has increased substantially. Not only by the audience but the artists as well. Before getting more into it, let us understand what observational comedy is. In short, the artist observes something in their surroundings and presents the same in front of the audience. Now, this presentation could be in the form of an act, a standup comedy, and anything else that the artist might prefer.
It is important to note that, observational comedy is not always about what the comic might see in their surroundings. They can talk about some of the things that the audience might relate to. The comic picks up something commonplace and gives it a funny twist. This is something we witness quite often, especially in stand-up comedies. Most standup comics talk about real-life incidents. This helps them engage their audience which in turn makes the audience more responsive.
Ways to Improve your observational comedy skills
Observe: The basic necessity of observational comedy is observation. If you want to improve your comedy skills, you need to start observing things that surround you. Instead of just taking a look and ignoring it, try thinking if it could be part of your next set.
Perspective is a crucial element of observational comedy. Try looking at things from different perspectives and bring out the funniest one. Other than this, you can recapitulate your day as well. At the end of every day, think about the tasks you did that day. Pick a basic task and something that people might find relatable, try creating a set out of it.
Put your imagination to work: Observing is the first step, but the process does not end there. Therefore, every time you observe something in your surrounding or your daily routine, try being creative. Use your imagination to create the best version of that observation in your mind. Once you have learned this, you will notice a change in your perspective. This will help you improve your observational skills as well as your imagination.
Care to share: As a comedian, especially while trying observational comedy, it becomes crucial to get feedback. Every set that you write, you must try it out in front of different audiences.
Doing this will help you analyze the shortcomings in your writing. Moreover, you will get an idea if the audience finds your content relatable or not. If they do, you are good to go. If they do not, you might have to revisit the first two steps. Therefore, it is very important to try your jokes to know the audience’s response.
Learn to be inquisitive: The more questions you ask, the better your skills get. For doing so, you need to keep asking questions about everything you notice. One of the best questions to ask yourself is a ‘what if?’. Pick up a scenario and imagine what might happen under different circumstances. Every time you ask such questions, you improve your thinking ability.
For instance, you could ask yourself questions like, what if the sun was blue. Once you have this question in mind, you can start writing a set around the same. Think about different things that might happen when the sun is blue. Don’t forget to add the humour though.
Interact with the audience: If the audience can relate to your observations, you will get a better response. Well, that is not the only benefit of having a good connection with the audience. If the audience finds your content relatable, they connect and communicate with you.
Therefore, they start to share their views on the situation you are talking about. This makes the entire session more engaging and fun.
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