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Victoria Nangle examines the phenomenon of the comedy bolter

The danger, I have found, with doing bigger and better gigs is the combination of your own nerves and those of the people around you. The other comics stepping into an unknown environment. The look of panic when you see someone of similar physical proportions stepping into the holding pen at the back where the gaggle of comics sit and await their fate. And it’s back here where you start chatting.

“…waiting for their turn to take the mic, only to shoot out the door at intermission time, never to be seen again”

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Victoria Nangle explains why it’s all in making the performance personal and keeping up that eye contact

Have you ever wondered why a comic’s best material is making you smile, is funnier and cleverer than the previous comic – who made you laugh out loud – but you’re still only smiling?

“Scared of being picked on if you sit at the front? Just make sure you sit at least three rows back”

When the audience becomes a ‘smiling crowd’ – appreciative, but not very vocal in this appreciation – you can find what was initially a very personable comic getting quite aggro. The aggro is only reasonable – they feel – considering the slight upon their act. It’s not so. It’s the same reason we very rarely laugh out loud at the telly when watching stand-up. There’s just no personal connection.

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Victoria Nangle says that shocking can be funny, but only if it’s done with care and intelligence

It’s always a little annoying when I go along to what I like to call an ‘emperor’s new clothes’ gig. One where everyone else is howling with laughter and I’m just holding my head in bemusement and confusion. It’s not that I’m easily shocked, more that I’m easily disappointed. After the hype of all of these people liking a comic, I’m a bit sad that I just don’t get it, and a part of me thinks that they shouldn’t either.

“I can’t abide the lazy comedian who just says something in order to be offensive”

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For Victoria Nangle, Edinburgh preview shows give a special insight into the workings of the comedian’s craft

There are a couple more weeks of Edinburgh previews doing the rounds down here, but to me what’s most interesting about them is that most are in a state of ‘work in progress’. Quite how much is ‘work’ and how much is ‘in progress’ will differ from performance to performance but to see the comic mind exposed – trying out a few risqué topics here, a few wild gestures and brand new interactions there – is worth all the rough edges.

“This is when you really start to get to know the inside of a comedian’s brain – a dangerous place indeed”

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