Keable, Ian: Stand-Up ©2008 Ian Keable, London, England Hardcover, w/dj, 282 pages ISBN 978-0-9557353-0-1 Second Printing 2009

Image courtesy MartinsMagic.com

Comments: A Professional Guide to Comedy Magic

Contents (from book ToC):

17 Foreword
19 First Things First
19 What Is Stand-Up?
19 The Magic Effect
20 Dead Time
20 The Author
21 Some Definitions
22 The Way Forward

24 Part 1: The Big Two

25 Chapter 1: Comedy
25 Introduction
25 The Strength Of Comedy
26 Other Advantages Of Comedy
26 Improving your Act
26 Character Development
27 Misdirection
27 Lightweight Magic
27 Reasons For Not Using Comedy
27 I’m a Magician not a Comedian
29 I’m not a Funny Person
29 I’m a Mind Reader and Mind Readers are not Funny
30 Dangers Of Comedy
30 Bit of Comedy Bit of Magic
31 Laughing At Not With
32 Laughter of Embarrassment
33 Jokes Versus Lines
33 Jokes
34 Disadvantage of Jokes
35 Lines
36 Example Of A Comedy Routine
36 Workings
38 The Climax
39 Conclusion
 
40 Chapter 2: Character
40 Introduction
40 Aspects Of Character Magicians
40 Easy to Define
40 Style
41 Situation of Conflict
42 Trick Selection
43 Finding My Character
43 First Attempts
45 Change of Direction
45 Coming Together
46 Finding Other Magicians’ Characters
46 Jeff Hobson
47 John Archer
47 The Great Soprendo
48 Mr Mysto
48 Graham Jolley
48 Mel Mellers
49 Noel Britten
50 Paul Daniels
50 Mac King
50 Neal Austin
51 Michael Finney
52 Mark Kornhauser
52 Finding Your Character
52 Being Yourself
53 Clothes
53 Getting There
54 Conclusion

55 Part 2: What To Say

56 Chapter 3: Lines
56 Introduction
56 Situation Lines
57 Card in Cigarette
59 Character Lines
59 Character-Situation Lines
61 Why They Work
62 Making Them Unique
63 Remembering Lines
64 Ad-Libs
65 Rehearsed Ad-Libs
65 Examples
67 Progressing The Plot
67 Moving Forward
67 Plot Template
70 Serious Lines
71 Conclusion

72 Chapter 4: Finding And Breaking In Lines
72 Introduction
72 Writing
72 Finding Lines
73 Standard
74 Book
74 Performing
75 Own
77 Writers
77 Other Magicians
78 Breaking In Lines
79 Delivery
80 Character
81 Audience
81 Funny
81 Constructing A Routine
82 Adding
83 Cutting
84 Substitution
84 Completely New
85 Putting It Together
86 Lines For Sucker Silk
88 Conclusion

89 Chapter 5: Other Patter Matters
89 Introduction
89 Call Backs
90 Running Gags
91 Catch Phrases
92 Topping The Gag
93 Converting Laugh To Magic
94 Innuendo
95 Self-Deprecation
96 Audience Abuse
97 Topical Material
98 Puns
100 Stepping Out Of Character
101 Over Familiar
102 Offensive Material
104 Watching Other Magicians
105 Conclusion

106 Part 3: Audience Participation

107 Chapter 6: Involving Assistants
107 Introduction
107 Why Audience Participation?
108 Potential Embarrassment
108 Potential versus Actual
110 Silly Things
111 Destruction Of Property
113 Deliberate Error
113 Magician Error
115 Assistant Error
115 Insult Humour
115 Definition
116 Who Uses It?
117 Tips on Using
119 Perils Of Audience Participation
119 A Cautionary Tale
121 Case Against
122 Conclusion

123 Chapter 7: Questioning Assistants
123 Introduction
123 Instructions
124 General Questions
125 Individual Questions
126 What’s Your Name?
126 Remembering and Using Names
127 Extracting Humour
129 Where Are You From?
131 What Do You Do For A Living?
131 Humorous Occupations
132 Generalising
134 Probing
135 Standard Responses
136 Closed Questions
137 Unexpected Answers
138 Dealing With
139 Bailing Out
139 Bringing It Together: Smashed Watch
140 The Routine
144 Summary
145 Conclusion

146 Chapter 8: Selecting Assistants
146 Introduction
146 Going Out To Assistants
147 Assistants In Audience
149 Means Of Getting Assistants From The Audience
149 You Choose
150 Just Tell Them
150 Going out into the Audience
150 Grab and Run
150 Making a Joke
151 Gradual Steps
151 Using a Prop to Hook Them
151 The Name
152 Pick and Mix
153 Outs
155 Which Assistants To Choose
155 General Categories
155 Narrowing Down
157 Help with Selection
159 How Many Assistants
159 Just the One
160 Perfect Twosome
161 Three’s a Crowd
161 Conclusion

162 Chapter 9: Types Of Assistant
162 Introduction
162 Assistant As Prop
162 Fear No More
164 Downsides
164 Assistant As Foil
166 Show to Date
166 No Previous Humiliation
167 Give them Time to Find their Space
168 Smile a Lot
168 Results
169 Assistant As Plant
169 When to Use Plants
170 Unsuspecting Plant
171 Humorous Plants
171 Assistant As Instant Stooge
172 Verbal Cuing
173 Written Cuing
175 Assistant As Magical Victim
176 Thanking Assistants
176 Finish Of Smashed Watch
179 Conclusion

180 Part 4: The Act

181 Chapter 10: More Than The Sum Of The Parts
181 Introduction
181 Opening
182 The Walk On
183 Opening Line
185 Subsequent Lines
185 First Trick
186 My Own Experience
187 Shock Openings
188 Structure Of The Act
188 Traditional
189 Alternative
191 Other Options
192 The Pièce De Résistance
193 Between Tricks
194 Applause
195 Closing
197 Encores
197 My Own Act
199 Conclusion
 
200 Chapter 11: Dealing With The Unexpected
200 Introduction
200 Nerves
201 Dying
201 Top Five Deaths
204 Apportioning Blame
205 Taking Action
206 Complaints Against You
206 Types
207 Generalised
208 Heckling
208 Aggressive Heckle when the Act is Going Badly
210 Aggressive Heckle when the Act is Going Well
211 Mild Heckle when the Act is Going Badly
211 Mild Heckle when the Act is Going Well
214 Anecdotes
214 Tricks Going Wrong
215 Difficult Assistants
217 Other Unexpected Happenings
217 Walking Out
217 Medical Problems
217 Feeling Sick
217 Non-English-speaking Audiences
218 Failure to Borrow Objects
218 Major Interruptions to the Act
219 Assistants with Disabilities
219 Conclusion

220 Chapter 12: Keeping Fresh
220 Introduction
221 Working On The Act: Existing Tricks
221 Topicality
222 Other Changes
224 Interference
225 Over-Improvement
226 Working On The Act: New Tricks
229 Barriers To Change
230 No Time
231 Big Bucks
232 Lack of Incentive
233 Fear
236 Conclusion
 
237 Part 5: Preparation

238 Chapter 13: Before Going On Stage
238 Introduction
238 Booking Information
240 Time Of Arrival
240 Sound
241 Testing the Equipment
242 Type of Microphone
243 Mike Stand
244 Music
245 Lighting
246 Staging
248 Smoke Alarms
249 Being Introduced
249 Introducer
251 Introduction Wording
253 The ‘M’ or the ‘C’ Word?
254 Taking You Off
254 Time Of Performing
256 Length Of Performance
257 Dress
258 Eating And Drinking
259 Conclusion

261 Chapter 14: The Professional Stand-Up
261 Introduction
261 Number One Priority
262 Breaking In The Act
263 Venues
265 Money
267 A Caveat
268 Promotional Material
268 Business Cards
268 Website
269 Brochure
269 Testimonials
269 Photographs
270 Film Footage
270 Newspaper Coverage
270 Summary
270 Agents
271 Keep Plugging
272 Seeing You
272 Managers
274 Fees
274 Commission
275 Reducing Fees
275 Contracts
276 Stand-Up Venues And Audiences
276 Corporate Functions
277 Cruise Ships
278 Comedy Clubs
279 Holiday Venues
279 Private Functions
280 Conclusion

281 Final Thoughts