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Getting the Joke: The Inner Workings of Stand-up Comedy
An examination of the art of stand-up comedy, its constituent parts and how they work
Considering stand-up comedy to be an art-form deserving greater attention and analysis, Getting the Joke provides an exploration of the work of the stand-up comedian. Beginning with a brief history of the art form, the book goes on to examine the key elements, such as the comedian's stage persona, their material and how this is generated, the art of performance, their relationship to and interaction with the audience, and the development of stand-up skills. The book draws on interviews with many of the leading stand-up comedians, including Jo Brand, Alexei Sayle, Ross Noble and Rhona Cameron, and contains detailed analysis of examples from both the British and American markets. Aimed at fans of stand-up and aspiring comedians alike, Getting the Joke is the first book of its kind to offer an accessible and engaging analysis of the art of stand-up comedy.
By the author of Stand-Up: On Being a Comedian - 'a fantastic book for anyone who's got any interest in stand-up comedy' (Mark Lamarr)
Considering stand-up comedy to be an art-form deserving greater attention and analysis, Getting the Joke provides an exploration of the work of the stand-up comedian. Beginning with a brief history of the art form, the book goes on to examine the key elements, such as the comedian's stage persona, their material and how this is generated, the art of performance, their relationship to and interaction with the audience, and the development of stand-up skills. The book draws on interviews with many of the leading stand-up comedians, including Jo Brand, Alexei Sayle, Ross Noble and Rhona Cameron, and contains detailed analysis of examples from both the British and American markets. Aimed at fans of stand-up and aspiring comedians alike, Getting the Joke is the first book of its kind to offer an accessible and engaging analysis of the art of stand-up comedy.
By the author of Stand-Up: On Being a Comedian - 'a fantastic book for anyone who's got any interest in stand-up comedy' (Mark Lamarr)
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 8, 2024
It starts quite dry and improves in readability as it goes on. Thankfully for a textbook it is devoid of any academic speak and so an easy read. I could see many parallels to both acting and writing and thought that there was some undue "claiming" of techniques for the field of Stand Up comedy that other fields had as much claim to but a very good read overall.
February 7, 2012
This was a good read for a self proclaimed stand-up connoisseur and let me peek behind the brick wall at the thinking behind all the work. The book was less a physiology of jokes work in the brain, which I assumed it was and more a dry list of what stand-ups do. It was hard for me as an American who is more aware of American comedians to picture who the author was talking about. I had to sit with a computer as I read and look up each comedian as he/she is brought up, which was enlightening but extra work I didn't plan on. I am planning on giving this book to one of my favorite podcast hosts who always talks about the inner workings of stand up and is one himself. Hope Chris Hardwick likes it!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews