Stand up comedy : How do I control my nerves? And speak clearly?

Question

How should I control my nerves before i go on stage as I am not the most confident of performers and also, I have always been a bit of a mumbler and on stage it can come through a little and hinder my joke telling and performance. Please help me out! Cheers, and I will choose a bet answer at the end.

Answer 1

Being uncomfortable doing stand up will literally kill your act because it makes the audience uncomfortable. You're wise to work on this.

The best advice I can give you is to NOT second guess what you think the audience is thinking. Unless the person is beaming at you, your interpretation of their thoughts is probably wrong. Often you'll look out and see someone frowning and think "they hate me". Most of the time they're frowning because they're trying to remember something, or they have something stuck in their teeth, or the coffee is bitter... you name it!

As you get more comfortable on stage (and the only way to get there is to spend more time on stage or speaking in public) you might find someone in the audience who is clearly open to or enjoying your act. Connect with them from the stage. As you learn to do this, you'll get better at connecting with several people during your act, this makes the audience feel involved and works like a charm!

In any case, think of yourself as a used car salesman... just keep smiling (or scowling, if that's your bit) and selling your act while on stage, no matter what happens.

Break a leg!

Answer 2

I am a puppeteer. You might get a couple of hand puppets and practice a skit routine with them. Although you are a stand up comedian, working a couple of puppets say on a pillar in front of you will make make you a group and give you confidence and expand the kind of comedy you can do. You dint have to be a Ventriloquist to do it.

Answer 3

preparation (and repetition) is the most to remembering and under no circumstances being embarassed, although you also go with to study a thanks to imagine on your ft and gloss over blunders. study now to not mumble (speech type?). Jokes are made good through "timing". to understand even as to watch for relaxing, to renowned a thanks to bypass your eyes and your body to get relaxing in-between a funny tale is paramount, and a thanks to get well is substantial. so a concepts as nerves are in touch, use the former addage that audio equipment are taught, and that is to imagine of your target audience as all being nude (and some humorous searching). also you could plant your relative (one which enjoys your jokes and is a good laugher even if you tell them the funny tale 1000 cases) interior the target audience and tell the jokes on your relative (quite of wondering there is an target audience available), you could practice with "canned laughter" or, concentration your jokes on the wall interior the lower back along with your creative and prescient bypassing each and every of the individuals so that you do not ought to work out their faces (which will or received't be a good concept for timing), of if the lights are vivid then you genuinely received't see them besides so on your ideas tell your jokes to someone who enjoys them). many times a skit is short so plan your fabric properly, use only your funniest fabric (that you've already taken for a testchronic), and, specially, have a good time with your self available on degree.

Answer 4

Practice speaking to a wide open space. Sometimes its not who is listening but the venue involved. Also practice meeting strangers, as you may also be worried too much about making an impression, leaving you nervous.

Answer 5

Do practice in prescence of UR family members or known friends regularly...Do participate in Debates/Extempo sessions...Do believe in UR self...U R the winner

Answer 6

Look at their chests. The eyes can be intimidating.
If there's lights, look at the lights and pretend you are talking to the wall.