Quintessential Comedy | Devoted to British Comedy

There’s an interesting interview with Brendan Burns on the Grauniad website, in which the if.comedy award winner of last years Edinburgh Festival talks about straight acting, taking time to develop a comedy pilot, and the difference in performance technique depending on the size of the venue, which is worth reprinting here:

In a small club, you can’t do Chris Rock-level performance shtick. You can’t have that level of polish. You can see every face and smell every breath - there’s no sense of occasion when you walk on stage. You’re basically commanding a conversation. If the venue’s bigger, you’re working the room, which is physically taxing. You use every corner of the stage; you sell every bit like you’re singing it.

Fascinating insight there - standup on bigger stages in larger venues is less standup and more walkaround.