Standup comedy could be punishing. You should make sure your audience is having a fun time even if you are not actually feeling good. Whether you are sick or healthy, happy or sad, or lively or sleepy, it would be your ultimate job to make people laughing. The crowd in every performance could be equally punishing. You may be facing a hostile crowd, who would aim to make you lose face by making you feel you are not actually liked. As you learn standup comedy and intend to make a career in staging standup comedy acts, you should remain focused.
Many new standup comedians fail because of lack of necessary focus. Instead of aiming to make people laugh, they just intend to keep people in company and mostly, to earn money. Yes, standup comedians need money above all. But seasoned and committed performers prioritize making people laugh over earning a decent and hefty living. Not all standup comedy performers would remain standing for that commitment.
They say it is harder to make people laugh than to make them cry. There is truth to it. Humor is relative and it varies from one person to another. You may seem funny to some people but not to others. Thus, it is just amazing how many standup comedians are able to make most, if not all, of people in a crowd laugh. Doing so may look easy. But as you hold the microphone and stand up there for your show, you would certainly realize that you have nothing but the mic and your racing heartbeats.
It is just normal for any standup comedian to feel nervous. This is not unique to beginners. Even seasoned comedians feel nervous in every performance. However, good standup comedians are able to make use of this nervousness to their advantage. They usually attest that the best way to overcome pounding heartbeats is to make people laugh. As you learn standup comedy, strive to make people laugh. You would be surprised how your nervousness and jitters would effectively subside when you see the audience laughing.
You could use your natural sense of humor in making people choke in laughter. It is a must for every standup comedian to possess a natural sense of humor. It could be further developed. If you have that gift, you would be able to make every unlikely remark from the audience turn to become a part of your antic. For instance, if a man suddenly screams to you You look pathetic, you may turn to him and respond, Yes, since birth. Look at how the rest of the audience would react. Such a reaction would surely bring the house down in laughter.
Lastly, to make people laugh, strive to be yourself. You may have a hard time assuming a different personality. You could not be anybody. But you could always capitalize in making yourself funny and interesting. Pay attention to this factor when you learn standup comedy.