Writing a solo show

With the Edinburgh festival starting this week I've decided to set myself a challenge of writing a one man show. I've done some stand up and acting before, and am about to restart stand up after a short (forced) break, and I'm looking for any suggestions, article or books that cover writing a solo performance.

I've found some on the net, for example http://www.creativeheartcoaching.com/2010/02/so-you-want-to-write-a-one-person-show.html
But that's very much writing about your own life, which I don't necessarily want to do as growing up in a travelling circus to parents who turned out to be spying for the soviet union is far too mundane a subject.

I want to have a structure and story to it rather than try an extended stand up routine because it's difficult to do a gag filled hour. Even for a prolific and talented gag writer/performer such as Gary Delaney it took years to write and road test enough gags for a one hour Edinburgh show. I'm neither that talented or patient.

So anyone here written a one person, one hour show before? If so how did you set about writing it?

Write it as a play with one speaking part, but plenty of characters

scenes, beginning, middle, end etc

think sitcom in terms of well structured scenes building to a punchline

Quote: phreaky @ August 1 2011, 11:04 AM BST

With the Edinburgh festival starting this week I've decided to set myself a challenge of writing a one man show. I've done some stand up and acting before, and am about to restart stand up after a short (forced) break, and I'm looking for any suggestions, article or books that cover writing a solo performance.

I've found some on the net, for example http://www.creativeheartcoaching.com/2010/02/so-you-want-to-write-a-one-person-show.html
But that's very much writing about your own life, which I don't necessarily want to do as growing up in a travelling circus to parents who turned out to be spying for the soviet union is far too mundane a subject.

I want to have a structure and story to it rather than try an extended stand up routine because it's difficult to do a gag filled hour. Even for a prolific and talented gag writer/performer such as Gary Delaney it took years to write and road test enough gags for a one hour Edinburgh show. I'm neither that talented or patient.

So anyone here written a one person, one hour show before? If so how did you set about writing it?

View original

What about a well-known writer/celebrity looking back on their life?

Yeah, I certainly think story telling comedy is better suited to hour-plus shows than gag telling comedy, both in helping you come up with jokes and in structuring and pacing the show.

Quote: sootyj @ August 1 2011, 11:48 AM BST

Write it as a play with one speaking part, but plenty of characters

scenes, beginning, middle, end etc

think sitcom in terms of well structured scenes building to a punchline

View original

That's pretty much how I'll structure it, a one man play of sorts, but with bits of audience interaction. This is what I'm unsure of, it's probably closer to theatre than normal stand up but it's considered more like stand up than theatre. So yeah, I'm confused.

I have the topic for the show under consideration, I don't want to give too much away, in case I give anyone ideas for their show! But to give you a clue, think of something happening in London in 2012. I'm sure one or two people may have picked up on it but fingers crossed.

Quote: Tim Azure @ August 1 2011, 1:48 PM BST

What about a well-known writer/celebrity looking back on their life?

View original

Sorry, don't want to seem obtuse, but I don't get what you mean.

Quote: phreaky @ August 1 2011, 5:57 PM BST

Sorry, don't want to seem obtuse, but I don't get what you mean.

View original

I don't think you are. Instead of playing a number of characters, have one character reminiscing.

I was thinking, think of an interesting story and then pick a complete anodyne narrator.

So instead of writing about Henry VIII or Anne Boleyn write from the point of the view of the guy who emptied their shit pots.

My advice would be to pick something you care about/know a lot about as a start point. Material comes much easier if you have a genuine point of view. You will find it easier to engage with the audience too, and that will see you through the -hopefully brief- periods where they aren't laughing.

The Edinburgh roadshows -if they still do them- are great places for ideas. In 2005 the then director gave us a great idea for our show which I'm convinced helped us to sell it to the venues - another important thing to think about, as you need to stand out from the other wannabes if you are to get a slot. On the assumption you lack a significant track record, of course.

If you haven't seen much Edinburgh try to get a look at what works, there are specific types of show that work really well there but probably not so well elsewhere.

Good luck.

I have a couple of topics in mind, I'm working on more than one at this stage so that if one idea runs out of steam I have others to choose from. I'll settle on one of them when I've done a bit more work.

What I'm really interested in hearing about is how people who've already written shows approached it. Did they write the story they wanted to tell then go back through adding jokes, or did they write jokes then stitch them together? Plus any other things they came across during the writing process.

Also still looking for any articles written by people who've taken shows to comedy festivals, if anyone comes across any.

I'm recording what I do so that I can post a blog in the future that will hopefully help anyone who wants to do a show.

Hi Phreaky,

Your post is quite old now, but I just wondered how things went with your on-man show - or maybe it didn't! I ask because I'm planning the same thing for a festival next year. Assuming you went ahead, what did you learn? any tips greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Quote: EinsteinsGhost @ August 11 2012, 8:43 PM BST

Hi Phreaky,

Your post is quite old now, but I just wondered how things went with your on-man show - or maybe it didn't! I ask because I'm planning the same thing for a festival next year. Assuming you went ahead, what did you learn? any tips greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

View original

Hi Mr Ghost!

I didn't go to Edinburgh in the end, but I did write the show, and road tested elements of it, including a couple of guest spots during the Leicester comedy festival. I am actually going up to Edinburgh on Friday for a week, and have a couple of people saying they can squeeze me on for short spots, but it's not really "doing" Edinburgh. Well not what I want to do.

A few things I picked up during the process were a mixture of political, don't tell PBH's Free Fringe that you've also applied to the Laughing Horse Free Festival! And practical; if you're going up to the fringe with a show for the first time the consensus is that you're more likely to get on one of the free shows if you're not a one man one hour show.

It's considered a better bet to get on with a couple of other people and do a twenty each. There are probably exception to the rule, so don't let that put you off trying.

I'd say the best advice I can give you about going to Edinburgh next year is buy this book now http://www.amazon.co.uk/Produce-Perform-Edinburgh-Fringe-ebook/dp/B007FN9FD8/ If you don't have a Kindle it's also available from http://www.lulu.com/shop/ian-fox/how-to-produce-perform-and-write-an-edinburgh-fringe-comedy-show/paperback/product-20114939.html

If I had that book this time last year I may well be there now, but then again I don't regret how things have played out. Just getting out there and doing things has lead me to co-write and act in three short films for people over the past year, act one stage play and as of last night I'm now making my own short film!

So just make a start, even if you don't make it to Edinburgh you may find you make it somewhere unexpected!

Have fun!