Read the room, read the audience
When something feels off, it's good to shift gears
There’ll come a time when you’re either on stage or waiting to go on, and you’ll notice something is off.
You’ll notice that the energy isn’t quite right, or the audience isn’t engaged with what’s happening, or perhaps laughs are few and far between. The reasons for this are varied, and while it’s tempting to go for easy answers, there are too many factors at play to make that diagnosis in the moment.
What these moments will bring, whether you’re in the middle of a show or you’re on later in the evening, is whether you should change your approach.
The temptation to go bigger, wackier, sillier is one most performers have experienced, and even before a show, you might discuss whether you should go all out from the beginning because the audience energy is low.
This is understandable, and for the most part, it’s showing that you’re reading the audience. Yet it’s important to read the room too.
I make the two separate because the audience is part of the whole experience. You, your team and the performers are another part of it.
An audience wants to be entertained, but they also want to relax while watching the show. That means you have to be assured on stage, knowing that no matter how they react, you’re performing with purpose.
More often than not, performers get anxious about the lack of feedback and panic, relying on bigger jokes to get the audience laughing, but it only makes it worse. Such moves end up looking desperate and needy, which will only alienate the audience further.
What I do think is that this can highlight a group’s reliance on one aspect to get through a show. Jokes and funny premises will get you over the line, but what happens when the humour doesn’t resonate with an audience?
In which case, it’s about what other gears you can shift to. Do you have drama and emotion? Do you have the bones of storytelling skills to bring things together? Does your act have total commitment to building the world, whether it’s mime, playing objects, or just complete belief in your character and the world they inhabit?
Those are elements that may let an audience see there’s more at play and bring them in.
Don’t underestimate an audience’s appreciation for craft and skills. Jokes are fun, and a comedy show should have humour, but when that isn’t landing, then you have to commit to your strengths. Bigger jokes won’t work, going deeper will.
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