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Comedian - Personal requirements

Tangata Whakakatakata

Skills & knowledge

Comedians need to have:

performance skills
excellent communication and people skills to ensure the audience understands their material
the ability to deal with a range of people
knowledge of human behaviour
public relations skills, especially if they spend a lot of time in the public eye
knowledge of marketing techniques
excellent research and writing skills for finding and preparing comic material
business skills if they are self-employed.

Some comedians may need good general knowledge and up-to-date knowledge of current events and popular culture, so they can relate well to their audience. If a comedian has a routine that is based on a persona, they may need physical comedy skills.

"I have a notebook that I carry with me everywhere to jot down ideas."

Photo courtesy of Jim Stanton, Comedian

Personal Qualities

Comedians need to be:

funny
creative
disciplined, motivated and reliable
objective
observant
confident
comfortable working in front of an audience and dealing with potentially negative feedback (from hecklers, for example).

Comedians also need to have a good memory and a sense of timing.

"You have to feel comfortable on stage with a lot of people looking at you. They can tell when you're scared – like dogs, they sniff you out, in which case you need to be able to run fast."

Justine Smith - Comedian

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Updated February 2008

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