Fledgling funnyman Oliver Booth spills the beans to Grocott’s Mail about what it takes to become a stand-up comedian.
Fledgling funnyman Oliver Booth spills the beans to Grocott’s Mail about what it takes to become a stand-up comedian.
While most of us shudder at the thought of trying to make a room full of strangers laugh, there are those who were born to perform.
Once you know this is your calling however, where do you start?
Oliver Booth, a stand-up comedian preparing for his very first solo show at this year’s National Arts Festival, says: perform, perform, perform.
If you’re still in school, he recommends auditioning for school plays.
Take every opportunity you can to get up on stage and test yourself: What kind of things do you enjoy doing? What do you find challenging?
“Watch as much comedy as possible,” Booth says. This includes everything from live comedy, YouTube videos, TV shows and DVDs.
“Figure out what kind of comedy you want to do and what makes you laugh. For example, do you prefer telling stories, or perhaps doing one-liners?”
In his third year of studying Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town, he decided to give stand-up comedy a go.
Since then he’s gotten into the swing of things and even won the Good Hope FM Laugh Master competition last year.
Although studying isn’t a prerequisite for being a good stand-up comedian, it is useful to get some stage training.
Most universities offer drama degrees, but you can do a quick online search to find specialised schools. “Write every day,” is another snippet of advice from Booth.
“When you think of something funny or have a funny idea, write it on a piece of paper or on your cellphone.”
A challenge facing aspiring comedians is getting enough stage time. Booth suggests looking for shows with open mic slot – that’s how he got started!
If there are none, approach local venues with a plan for hosting your own comedy shows. Getting to know other comedians is also important.
Many of them already have useful contacts, and Booth points out that learning from their experiences can’t hurt.
Even so, you could still have a long way to go before becoming the next Trevor Noah.
“I once did a gig to a crowd who kept shouting out for some strange reason that I resembled Prince William, which eventually ended in a fight between two people in the crowd,” Booth says, only half-joking.
Despite the difficulties comic performers face, many feel South Africa is the place to be right now: this year’s Fest features a record number of stand-up shows.
“SA is a vibrant country, filled with many people with different stories to tell,” Booth says.
His debut show, called Booth’s & All, is about a suburban boy trying to make sense of the world around him. It’s produced by Siv Ngesi and directed by Christopher Weare.
Booth’s & All is showing at the Scout Hall today (Friday) and tomorrow at 4pm. On 1 July it will be on at 8pm, on 4 July at 6pm, 5 July at 2pm and at 10am on 6 July.
