If you are looking for a fun way to get more involved in the local community while stepping out of your comfort zone, you might be interested in giving stand-up comedy a try. There are a lot of stand-up comedy rules and regulations you need to follow, but if you plan ahead, you can kill your routine the next time you visit a St. Pete comedy club, such as Side Splitters. Take a look at a few of the most important rules for stand-up comedy competitions below, and get ready to wow your audience with your next routine!
1. Know The Time Limit
Before you agree to participate in a stand-up comedy competition, know the time limit. It is not unusual for a stand-up comedy to only give you three minutes to perform, and the judges could decide to dock you points if you go over the time limit, no matter how funny you are. Always be clear about the time limit of the competition before you get started, and know when the timer starts. Is it when you start speaking? Or, is it when you walk on stage?
2. Know The Genre And Your Audience
Next, you need to know the genre and your audience before you go out on stage. A stand-up comedy show you will do for a bunch of elderly people is probably going to be different from a stand-up comedy show that you will do for a bunch of teenagers and college students. You might have a genre you prefer, so take a look at the stand-up comedy competition rules before you start planning. You need to know that your jokes will land with both the judges and the audience.
3. Know If You Need Props Or An Audience Volunteer
There are some stand-up comedy competitions that let you use props. There are others that will let you call a volunteer from the audience. These are nuances that should be included on the rules sheet, but if you don’t see them there, remember to ask. While they might not be required, you don’t want to break the rules by doing so when it is not allowed. If you get more creative with these approaches, you might score more points; however, you need to know these rules ahead of time.
4. Your First Joke Is the Most Important One
Today, people have extremely short attention spans. This means that you are only going to have a few seconds to grab their attention and hold it. Make sure you do so by starting with a very strong joke. You might even want to try out your first joke on a few random people on the street to see what they say. If they laugh and look like they are eager for more, you know that you have a good opener for your stand-up comedy set.
5. Your Last Joke Is the Second-Most Important One
In addition, you need to leave the audience and the judges with a good taste in their mouths. This means that your last joke is your second-most important one. It is okay to get them laughing so loudly that they cannot hear you because you are ending your set anyway. It is not unusual to have a long lead-up to the last punchline. It is like building a crescendo to the end of a song. Think about how you want to deliver your last joke carefully.
6. Use Inspiration, But Do Not Plagiarize
Every comedian since the dawn of time has drawn inspiration for their style from somewhere. There is nothing wrong with you doing so as well; however, you need to make sure that you do not plagiarize. There are a lot of people who post their sets online, so if you are looking for your style, this could be a good place to start. Be very careful that you do not copy anything. If you have heard the joke, there is a chance someone in the audience has as well.
Test Your Stand-Up Comedy Skills At Side Splitters!In the end, these are just a few of the most important stand-up comedy rules you need to follow. Giving a stand-up comedy performance is a great way to meet some new people, try a new hobby, and possibly launch a fun side hustle. If you are looking for the best place in the local area to get more involved with stand-up comedy, you should consider swinging by Side Splitters Comedy Club. This is one of the best comedy clubs in the nation, and there are multiple locations in the local Florida area where you can try out your set! If you want to learn more about the opportunities at Side Splitters, contact us today!
