A Director's Guide to the Art of Stand-up

by Chris Head

The act of the solo stand-up comedian is often the result of intense collaboration, and none more so than when they work with a director. For comics themselves and for those who support them, this is the first book to give the director's perspective on developing stand-up from club sets to full-length shows. Drawing on his own experience of directing stand-up alongside speaking to comedians and their directors, Chris Head produces a revealing perspective on the comic's persona, their material, the structuring of shows and delivering a performance. For stand-up readers the book offers directorial insights and a fresh perspective on their work and will serve as a resource that will inspire and provide practical tips. For directors, coaches and writers it offers numerous tools and approaches for working with comics. From exploring the director's relationship with the stand-up comedian and their role as coach, sounding board and script editor, Chris Head considers three areas central to the stand-up's the development of their stage persona and characters acts; material and performance. Within this the author explores the dramaturgical work of the director on full-length festival and touring shows; extending the range of a comic's subject matter; the director's perspective on tone, pacing, timing, physicality and act-outs; preparing for the live context; previewing shows and the live performance itself. Perfect for the stand-up student, gigging comic, academics studying and teaching stand-up and for directors themselves, A Director's Guide to the Art of Stand-up reveals how creating the comedian's solo act can be a deeply collaborative process.

ebook

Published July 1, 2018