The We Are Funny Project Blog

Articles and resources for stand-up comedians

Comedic Confidence: Elevate Your Public Speaking and Life Coaching Game with Humour

Life is more easily navigated with more skills in our possession. Stand-Up Comedy is a fun and effective way to gather up more abilities than you may have imagined. There are lessons within that are worthy of a Life Coach. From building confidence, developing personal relationships, navigating the dating scene, boosting career prospects and a whole lot more.

Comedic Confidence: Elevate Your Public Speaking and Life Coaching Game with Humour

When a set goes badly... you have to pick yourself up and try, try again. Stage deaths are near inevitable. Indeed, they are essential. Yet painful. Here are some thoughts on how to make the most of bad gig.

How to Handle a Bad Stand-Up Gig

When a set goes badly... you have to pick yourself up and try, try again. Stage deaths are near inevitable. Indeed, they are essential. Yet painful. Here are some thoughts on how to make the most of bad gig.

Behind the Laughter: My Perspective on Being The Focus of a Top-Rated YouTube Prank

Here are some thoughts on the experience of working with YouTube superstar, Niko Omilana. Disclaimer: No comedians were (really) hurt in the making of this Number One trending video.

stand-up comedy

Countdown. Number Three of The Seven Most Powerful Ways to Improve Your Stand-Up Comedy

Into the Top Three. Working through the finest practices for getting sharper at stand-up. It's all about you, as I urge the habit to Record, Rehearse and Review.

stand-up comedy

Punchline Production: Filmmaking Techniques for Hilarious Stand-up

Comedians are their own Producer, Director, Screenwriter and Leading Role... and that's just the beginning of understanding the overlap between cinema and stand-up. Welcome to a taster of the unique Cinematic System of Stand-Up as applied in the online course for more advanced amateur comedians, Stepping Forward in Stand-Up Comedy.

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Check out our regular review of our weekly open-mic stand-up comedy show at Farr's in Dalston.

stand-up comedy

Countdown. Number Four of The Seven Most Powerful Ways to Improve Your Stand-Up Comedy

We're half way through the countdown. Working through the best activities and practices for getting sharper at stand-up. Thankfully there are hacks and insights for catalysing quality output. A couple of those are detailed here, for the developing comedian. There's no getting away from writing. Right? Write?

stand-up comedy

stand-up comedy tips

Countdown. Number Five of The Seven Most Powerful Ways to Improve Your Stand-Up Comedy.

This is the third in a 7-part series, a countdown, running towards the single most effective method to get closest to mastering your stand-up comedy. There are seven particular processes, activities or actions that emerging comedy talent can pursue. Each will help to make the performer get better, funnier, stronger, faster.

stand-up comedy

stand-up comedy tips

Countdown. Number Six of The Seven Most Powerful Ways to Improve Your Stand-Up Comedy

This is the second in a 7-part series, a countdown, running towards the single most effective method to get closest to mastering your stand-up comedy. There are seven particular processes, activities or actions that emerging comedy talent can pursue. Each will help to make the performer get better, funnier, stronger, faster.

stand-up comedy

stand-up comedy tips

Countdown. Number Seven of The Seven Most Powerful Ways to Improve Your Stand-Up Comedy

There are seven particular processes, activities or actions that emerging comedy talent can pursue. Each will help to make the performer get better, funnier, stronger, faster. This is the first in a 7-part series, a countdown, running towards the single most effective method to get closest to mastering your stand-up comedy.

stand-up comedy

Welcome to the "Do-er" Gig

Masses of comedians who played the circuit pre-pandemic have chosen not to return. An enthusiastic and promising new generation has emerged to take their places. However, there are some issues and as a result changes have to be made...

stand-up comedy

Welcome to the "Do-er" Gig

Masses of comedians who played the circuit pre-pandemic have chosen not to return. An enthusiastic and promising new generation has emerged to take their places. However, there are some issues and as a result changes have to be made...

stand-up comedy

Stand-Up Comedy? Course You Can...

Good things have emerged from troubled times. Live comedy was hit hard by the pandemic. Creative people were unable to gather and perform their ideas in the traditional way. Finally, stand-up is returning to full strength. A new generation of acts are stepping up... Alfie Noakes offers some options.

stand-up comedy

The Benefits Of "Having a Go" At Stand-Up Comedy

Every comedian recalls the extraordinary nerves they felt the first time they went up on stage. They did it anyway, It comes with the territory. However, being aware of the awesome range of benefits from having a go at stand-up comedy is a major incentive to have at it. Most stand-up fans secretly want to try performing and the good news is, it is rather easy to get up and do it.

stand-up comedy

Some Key Ingredients for a Quality Stand-Up Comedy Show

Good promoters and MCs work tirelessly to make their shows as welcoming as possible for performers and audience. So what makes a quality comedy night? And what can we do if things aren't going quite according to plan?

stand-up comedy

Professional Stand-Up Comedians Vs. Hecklers

This is the second of a 2 part themed blog. Alfie Noakes ponders the stakes and standards when a determined heckler announces themselves in a professional comedy room. Part 1 considers hecklers in an open mic setting.

stand-up comedy

How to Handle Hecklers without Ruining the Gig

This is the first of a 2 part themed blog. Alfie Noakes focuses on hecklers, and the heckler-adjacent, in open mic comedy. Offering tips and insights on managing these rascals. Part 2 considers hecklers in a professional comedy setting.

stand-up comedy

Funny, Fabulous and F**ked Up Comedy Formats

Comedians and performers are routinely freshening up their output. When a promoter does some of that too, both acts and audience benefit. There's a lot of fun to be had by being innovative while showcasing stand-up performances.

stand-up comedy

Learn from the Film Industry and Create an Amazing Stand-Up Comedy Set

There are lessons, ideas and practises in the film production world that carry value into the stand-up universe. Whether selecting material, generating content or marketing oneself, film makers have a lot to teach comedians. (Much more to follow in a pending project)

stand-up comedy

Learn from the Film Industry and Create an Amazing Stand-Up Comedy Set

There are lessons, ideas and practises in the film production world that carry value into the stand-up universe. Whether selecting material, generating content or marketing oneself, film makers have a lot to teach comedians. (Much more to follow in a pending project)

stand-up comedy

Performing Your New Stand-Up Material

With new jokes written, the next step is to perform them. Alfie Noakes provides some techniques to make that process more efficient and smooth. Turning the new material into "banker" material as quickly as possible.

stand-up comedy

Writing for Comedians

There are ways to come up with comedy ideas, write jokes and to increasingly enjoy the creative process. Alfie Noakes argues that facing the blank screen or page is less than ideal for comedians and provides practical tips on how to write comedy.

stand-up comedy

Learning How to Write Comedy Doesn't Need To Be a Mystery

Funny is funny. As with all art-forms there are tips, tricks and techniques to hit the ground running and develop your stand-up skill set. Here's how to write jokes. Some jokes.

stand-up comedy

Comedy Progression and New Materi-Hell

Moving up the comedy ladder has an awful lot in common with working in your newest material so everything comes together as seamlessly/painlessly as possible. Here are some tips and observations for navigating both...

stand-up comedy

Why I Treat Every Comedy Show Like a Party… And Maybe You Should Too

There's an attitude that really helps to put on the best show. Sharing this approach makes it better for the MC, the acts and the audience. It's a matter of perspective...

stand-up comedy

Here's How To Book More Open Mic Gigs

In order to have more fun and improve as a comedian, stage time is essential. Here are a few ways to maximise your opportunities in booking gigs.

stand-up comedy

I've Been On a Comedy Stage 1000 Times... Yet I Am Not a Comedian

Considerations of the skills, advantages and differences between MCing and being a straight up comedian

stand-up comedy

The Gift of Laughter... Give or Take

Some thoughts on the healing or rejuvenating power of comedy, laughter and being a part of the comedy community

stand-up comedy

The 3 Tiers Of Open Mic... Where Are You?

Alfie Noakes argues that there are 3 arenas for people to play in open mic and that most performers are in more than one at any time

stand-up comedy

Your Comedy Investments...

When you step on stage a couple of nights a week, you are making a big investment. Here's how to get the best possible return on the time and money you spend in stand-up comedy.

stand-up comedy

A Wonderful Success Story... And A Learning Opportunity

From your first open mic to crowning comedic triumphs there are paths with more value and class than others... here is a case-in-point

stand-up comedy

The Worst Audiences... And How To Avoid Them

Open mic nights can be barren when it comes to having a "real audience" but there are those who can really help turn that tide

comedy commentary

Words and Numbers

During the lockdowns, Zoom gigs served many purposes, and possibly will do so again. But let's be realistic...

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Alfie "Ant Man" Noakes and the Man in the Chair talk lorem ipsem dolor sit amet.

This show shouldn't have worked... but it did!

With a smaller audience than usual, unknown open mic comedians, and new material-a-go-go, the odds were against us. But with solid jokes, charming stage craft, and a stellar headliner, this gig really worked.

Back to the comedy grindstone

We're back running open mic shows after all the pandemic madness. five gigs in, here's how things are going and what we have learned so far about post-lockdown comedy.

What will stand-up comedy look like post-covid?

When will stand-up comedy gigs return post-covid? What form they will? And how should comedians prepare for a successful return to gigging?

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Check out our regular review of our weekly open-mic stand-up comedy show at Farr's in Dalston.

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