Some questions on the use of stage names...

... firstly a bit of background, I used to spend quite a lot of time between gigs getting very bent out of shape trying to second-guess what I thought an audience wanted to hear rather than focusing on what I wanted to say. Since I started approaching things differently, I have become a lot more relaxed on stage and I have noticed that I've started getting booked a lot more frequently. However this has presented a problem in itself.

Recently I have been toying with the idea of using a stage name in order to maintain the level of emotional honesty whilst in front of an audience but to keep an emotional distance from them. This led me to the idea of using a fake name so that the subjects and opinions I cover could be attributed to a character I was portraying and therefore keep a divide between who I am on stage and who I am on my own time.

I was wondering if anyone has also been considering this and my questions for those that have are:

1. Has changing your name cancelled out however much of a reputation you have collected under your own name and essentially caused you to have to start all over again?

2. What are the pros/cons of using a stage name that is designed to be humourous by itself (a la Craig Ferguson/Biff Hitler)?

3. Do you get to the point where you want to shed the name and be "yourself" again?

4. Is there anything else I haven't considered?

Apologies for the lengthy post but this is genuinely an issue I've been struggling with and I would greatly appreciate any help or advice.

Regards,
Xander.

I first started using a stage name so that I could retain my anonymity when I was starting out and likely to be shit.

I was living in London and didn't want my real name appearing in the TimeOut listings as I hadn't told anyone, other than my then girlfriend, that I was going to try my hand at stand up. The last thing I wanted was people I knew turning up in the audience at the open spot nights I was playing.

After a while I got known on the circuit by my new name and in the end I stuck with it as changing back to my real name would've been a lot of hassle.

I now like the fact that I have two identities, my stage persona and my off-stage one which can be kept completely separate if I choose. It also allows me to say and do things on stage which are my stand up character but not, necessarily my real world character (yes, it is all a bit schizophrenic).

In answer to your questions;

1) I built up what reputation I had, under my stage name, so the opposite was true for me, returning to my real name would've lost me any reputation I had and confused matters.

2) Personally I think that "joke" stage names are a millstone around your neck, the may seem funny to begin with but do you really want have that name 10 years later, long after the joke has worn thin?

3) In some ways I would love to start over under my real name but then in others I'm glad to keep everything separate.

4) When you get paid make sure cheques are made out to the correct name!

Good luck.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ July 10 2012, 12:46 PM BST

2) Personally I think that "joke" stage names are a millstone around your neck, the may seem funny to begin with but do you really want have that name 10 years later, long after the joke has worn thin?

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It takes some big balls to say that!

Thanks Tony, that's actually been really helpful. I think as far as names go, I wouldn't ever have gone for a full on joke name, just something a little different. That said, I already have a rather odd name!
I quite fancy the anonymity, well as much as you can get standing in front of an audience and if I'm quite honest, I'm not even remotely close to being a recognised name so if I was going to make the change, now is as good a time as any.
Also, it might remove some confusion as I've lost count of the amount of times I've been introduced as Platt, Flap, etc.
I've got a good enough relationship with a couple of promoters that I can try a couple of wee gigs with another name to see how I feel about it.
May I ask if you chose your name based on a family connection, an inspiration or some other connection or was it just a random selection.?

My nom de comedie comes from a corruption of my real name, I had received a letter addressed to "Tony Cowards" and started using it as a username on a well known comedy forum that isn't this one, then when I started performing comedy, using the name that some people in the comedy industry already knew me by, seemed the obvious thing to do.

One thing I forgot to mention is that, if possible, it's best to have a name that is relatively easy for MCs to remember and pronounce properly and if it's memorable for the audience even better.

>4) When you get paid make sure cheques are made out to the correct name!

Some clients will STILL get it wrong, so be sure to inform your bank that you might have to pay-in cheques made out to your stage name, before paying in write on the back:

"Pay to the account of:"

and write in your real name and account details and sign the back.

When I started in stand up I'd already been working in other areas of showbusiness for 15 years, as an actor, magician and game show host. So I already had quite a name and wanted to build on it. But there were problems with this:
Although I'd never had a problem as an actor, I found that comedy comperes could never pronounce or spell my name. It just wasn't memorable/simple enough for the comedy circuit.
I also realised to really stand out as a comedian I'd need to be a "different version" of myself to that as an actor and magician. As a comedian you're a product, and that product had to be packaged very differently to my product as a magician, actor, etc
So therefore I just couldn't sell myself under the same name.
I played with variations on my real name but realised if I was going to take a new name why the hell should it have to be based on my existing name?
So I spent a month moving sticky notes around on my wall with every memorable, short and easy first and last name that appealed to me.
I finally settled on the name 'Eddie Twist' which I hope is friendly, memorable and hopefully a bit intriging. (It was a close call - I was going to call myself Eddie Moon until I Googled it and realised it's a character on the countries most popular TV show, which I never watch!)
I've found with my new name I feel quite brave on stage in creating a whole new comedy world for myself. I can say what I like about my wife and mother etc, because they're not MY wife and mother. They're Eddie Twists!

I always email the booker of any gig telling them to make the cheque out to my real name though. Most bookers can get their heads around the idea of a stage name, but I swear some of them think that's my agent!!