» A laughing matter
Victoria Nangle on how a wealth of comedy material is simply sitting there in your diary
Ever worried about running out of material? Not I. I just take a calendar into the comedy lab and simply write and go. Yup, topical doesn’t have to mean doing a bit of Gordon Brown-poking or bringing up conflicts in the Middle East. It can just mean checking out what’s happening in your own diary. It’s Shrove Tuesday next week – how’s about a couple of pancake gags? Or will they fall flat? Sorry.
“Topical doesn’t have to be Gordon Brown-poking“
Bad puns not withstanding, in this crazy mixed-up world in which we live there are enough religious, anniversary and plain nutty days marked that no one should ever have to worry about fodder for laughter. Today (21 January) is the anniversary of the death of Peter II, tsar of Russia, which was also by pure fluke the same say he was scheduled to get married. Talk about an excuse not to turn up at the church. Tomorrow marks the date that in 1969 The Beatles made their last public appearance as a group. The day after is the ninth anniversary of Johnny Depp chasing off photographers with a piece of wood in London. It’s amazing what you can find as raw material that can be time-sensitive.
That’s not even counting the National Nudist Week, Speak Like A Pirate Day or straightforward Valentine’s – yes, love it or hate it we all know it’s not far off now. With this much going on it practically writes itself. However, writing in this manner does give a defined lifespan to each gag. Blast. Just when I thought I might be getting a whole new set overnight.
Ideally, these kind of gags can be peppered into a set on an ad hoc basis a couple at a time. Every comic that’s been going for more than a year will have their own jokes about Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Recycling doesn’t only apply to bottles and paper. The other, smaller, occasions tend to only get a gag if they particularly tickle your fancy, and again these can be carted out each year ad infinitum. Notice how this has now started happening with Big Brother as each season comes around again. Plus, with calendar marks like TV shows there’s a whole 10 weeks to tout your BB jewel onto an unsuspecting audience.
Truly though, the people who appreciate landmark dates the most, and utilise them thoroughly, are the comperes. With pressure to come up with new material each week dates are a blessing from the comedy gods. With this in mind, here is my top tip for the next couple of weeks. If you’re in a loving relationship and like see ing stand-up, don’t sit in the front row with your partner. You’ll be Valentine’s fodder before you know it.
