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Off the Mic: The World's Best Stand-Up Comedians Get Serious About Comedy
What is it to be a stand-up comedian? To be funny, solo? You have no character-role, no double-act partner, and nowhere to look but out into the darkness, with just a microphone, an audience and your imagination.
This is a job without an annual appraisal; a job where you are publicly appraised every ten seconds. The results are harsh and obvious: if the audience isn't laughing, you 'died'; if they can't stop, you 'killed'.
Deborah Frances-White and Marsha Shandur unpack the inner-workings of the minds of comics, sharing their secrets, insecurities and successes; their bêtes noires and their biggest fears. Featuring interviews with a host of comedians including Eddie Izzard, Moshe Kasher, Sarah Millican, Jim Jeffries, Stewart Lee, Lewis Black, Jenny Eclair, Todd Barry, Richard Herring, Marc Maron, Stephen K Amos, Rich Hall, Zoe Lyons, Marcus Brigstocke, Phill Jupitus, Gary Delaney, Mark Watson, Greg Davies and many more, this excellent book lets you in to the hearts and minds of celebrated comedians, away from the stage and off the mic.
This is a job without an annual appraisal; a job where you are publicly appraised every ten seconds. The results are harsh and obvious: if the audience isn't laughing, you 'died'; if they can't stop, you 'killed'.
Deborah Frances-White and Marsha Shandur unpack the inner-workings of the minds of comics, sharing their secrets, insecurities and successes; their bêtes noires and their biggest fears. Featuring interviews with a host of comedians including Eddie Izzard, Moshe Kasher, Sarah Millican, Jim Jeffries, Stewart Lee, Lewis Black, Jenny Eclair, Todd Barry, Richard Herring, Marc Maron, Stephen K Amos, Rich Hall, Zoe Lyons, Marcus Brigstocke, Phill Jupitus, Gary Delaney, Mark Watson, Greg Davies and many more, this excellent book lets you in to the hearts and minds of celebrated comedians, away from the stage and off the mic.
- GenresNonfiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 9, 2021
This is actually written for people who are considering taking up stand up - which I am definitely not. However, it's interesting to read comedians talking about their process and provides an insight into all the work that goes into writing successful comedy.
There is a good range of British and American comedians who contribute and the differences in their method is as varied as the different types of comedian we have.
It's currently a good time for stand up comedy. There's lots of comedy on television and, pre-covid there was a thriving stand up comedy circuit. I've seen comedy in pub upstairs rooms with twenty people, in school halls, proper comedy clubs as well as in huge capacity venues and this book really deals with the issues that face all types of comedian.
If you are a comedy nerd, it's good. If you're a casual comedy fan, there's probably too much detail to make it a fun read.
There is a good range of British and American comedians who contribute and the differences in their method is as varied as the different types of comedian we have.
It's currently a good time for stand up comedy. There's lots of comedy on television and, pre-covid there was a thriving stand up comedy circuit. I've seen comedy in pub upstairs rooms with twenty people, in school halls, proper comedy clubs as well as in huge capacity venues and this book really deals with the issues that face all types of comedian.
If you are a comedy nerd, it's good. If you're a casual comedy fan, there's probably too much detail to make it a fun read.
September 10, 2018
A great, insightful book about the wonderful world of standup comedy and all of its bizarre inhabitants.
January 29, 2021
Great well-rounded standup comedy advice covering most angles from some of the best currently working comics in the UK.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews