Be a Great Stand-up: Teach Yourself: How to master the art of stand up comedy and making people laugh

by Logan Murray

Logan Murray has successfully taught the techniques of stand-up comedy to thousands, and in this book he distills his years of experience into the essential skills for a great and enjoyable performance. He will help you find your own creative streak and your funny side, build the confidence to deliver, and explain the finer details of stagecraft, from dealing with hecklers to coping with props. There is a full guide to the practicalities, from finding gigs to securing an agent, with plenty of valuable hints, tips and advice. Drawing on Logan's years of teaching and his own successful stand-up career, with top tips from some of the most well-known people in the business, it is guaranteed to bring a smile to both your face and that of your future audience.
NOT GOT MUCH TIME?

One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.
AUTHOR INSIGHTS

Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.
TEST YOURSELF

Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.
EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of stand-up comedy.
FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER

Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.
TRY THIS

Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Genres: Comedy, Humor, Stand Up, Self Help

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2010

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful if like me you started doing stand up comedy. If you do not have a funny bone in you it will be an enjoyable read and very insightful

[Rich B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good insights about humour and the world of stand-up comedy here, enjoyed a lot of the content and liked the book overall. He’s clearly knowledgeable, experienced and enthusiastic about the topic, and the book’s easy to read and mostly fun.

However, at times the structure and flow of the book felt disjointed. The opening sections are basically repeated versions of the same content done in longer and longer versions for example, but not really signposted in advance. Bit confusing.

It’s also repetitive in places (lost count of how many times we got variations of “be specific to be funny” for example, or “it’s all about your attitude”). Also at times guilty of wandering into a motivational self-help style. Neither of these are good things.

So, liked it, but didn’t love it.

There’s plenty of suggestions for techniques to create jokes and routines, and to think creatively - in fact, this book could almost have been a “think creatively” book rather than “think comedy”. Some of the techniques you’ll probably recognise from improv shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway, and lots of comedy panel quiz and news shows.

It closes out with many practical tips on creating routines, finding comedy clubs, preparing for your performance etc which bring it back to the actual theme of the book.

I read it out of interest in the topic of humour and comedy generally, rather than any desire to be a stand-up. While it definitely covers humour and comedy, there was a bit too many other things going on in the book for me to feel it nailed those topics specifically.

If this book were a comedy routine, it probably made me chuckle, rather than had me rolling on the floor. Still worth a read though.

[Björn Seidel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was a fun read and it gave me some great insights. Apparently my friend and almost neighbour: Tim Whelan knows Logan Murray - so shout out, my good man.

I did read reviews where people criticises the beginning of the book, but especially that made me dive deeper and deeper into the book. The exercises and insights into joke structure and clearly outlined workshops are fun and easy to follow. This was really helpful.

There were parts I skipped over or just flew through, but I can't fault the author for that.

Even if you don't really become a comedian, this might be a book that is a fun read. For someone toying with the idea, it's almost a must-read.

[ZEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent training guide for a new stand up comedian

[Lizzie Buehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

(mostly) cured me of my deranged and fleeting desire to become a stand-up comedian.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was no funnier for having read this book. I don't know why I purchased this book since I have no intention of being a stand-up comedian.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good analysis, and exercises for a joke framework.
Does comment on other aspects for the professional joker.