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.

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