» Eye contact in comedy
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.
Half the battle is in the performance, not just the material the performance is made up of. Without enthusiasm, conviction and most importantly eye contact with the audience there’s no connection – and with no connection there’s no empathy or a need to laugh out loud, like you would if a friend was telling you a funny story in the pub.
Even with big name performers, playing at larger venues like the Dome or even the Brighton Centre, you’ll notice they look all around the crowd as they deliver their set. Jim Davidson, over in Worthing a couple of years ago, even had the Congress Theatre turn the house lights up so he could see every single member of the audience quite clearly.
Obviously, it’s not easy to make hundreds of people think you’re looking right at them and feeling a warm fuzzy glow – especially in the dark. Scared of being picked on if you sit at the front? Don’t be. Just make sure you sit at least three rows back from the very front and the stage maestros won’t be able to tell you from Adam. The bright lights are pretty blinding, which is why the front row always get the personal touch – the performers can’t see anyone else.
So there’s the challenge – eye contact with people you can’t see. Tricky. But the payoff’s worth it. There are other tricks to get a personal connection with audience members. Shaking hands with everyone as they come in to the venue. Chatting to people at the bar before the show starts. Maybe even eavesdropping on other conversations so that you know what’s on their minds right now. It can be on yours too – showing how ‘naturally’ in tune you are with your crowd.
Once the comic has the crowd on side (taking up the original illusion that a stand-up is just a member of the audience that’s got up on stage with a few ideas) they’ll be rooting for that comic – even if their material’s not quite as good as the last fella, ‘cause this guy’s one of ours’, he’s one of the crowd’s favourites regardless.
