First Stand Up Comedy Gig Nerves!!! HELP

Oh my GOd. This week is my first ever open mic stand up comedy gig!

I've rehearsed my routine forwards, backwards, inside and out, performed in front of friends, colleagues, mirror etc...

I now have no idea whether or not my material is funny or not. I've got friends and colleagues attending the gig. Whilst everyone says the material is good and relatable I notice nobody is laugh out loud laughing. More polite laughing.

What have I done? Why am I doing this to myself? I am worried sick that I am going to make a fool of myself.

Plus I'm 39. All I hear in my head is 'YOU'RE TOO OLD! YOU'RE TOO OLD!'

I feel like cancelling the gig and crawling under a very large rock but even that I can't do now because I'll look like I bottled it. I have no where to turn. Bottle it and look like a loser or do the gig and have no one laughing. Well, not with me any way.

Any advice???

Hello Nickname, and welcome

I can't offer you much advice other than my own experience. The first and most important is this:

Quote: nickname @ August 5 2012, 10:43 PM BST

I've rehearsed my routine forwards, backwards, inside and out, performed in front of friends, colleagues, mirror etc...

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This already puts you ahead of the majority of acts at most open-mic nights I've ever been to. So even if your material bombs, you won't be anywhere near the worst act of the night.

The second is, I did my first open-mic when I was older than you so don't worry on that score at all. And it went fine. because I'd rehearsed my routine forwards, backwards, etc. And because the majority of acts at most open-mic nights don't appear to do this.

And finally, what's the worst that can happen? Bugger all. Get out there, relax, enjoy it. And good luck!

hey, thanks for the reply. I seem to be lacking faith in my material.

i decided to explore the subject of 'shit'. only because every time I attempted to write something 'funny' it just turned out to be shit. I figured if I just wrote shit it might turn out to be funny!

i'm now worried that it's crass and seen as a cheap set. its too late to change the routine now.

plus, how do you enjoy something that makes you feel so damn nervous?

I agree with Badge, you must practice until it is second nature. I have taught Navigation (not funny in the slightest) for years and can deliver the lesson so confidently that I can fend off any questions/ heckles. The point is, you must know your material well enough to anticipate anything, be able to ad lib and pick it up from where it digressed.

Shit is always funny......

If you disturb people with your first line you will make it harder for yourself, that's for sure, but the main thing is to be funny. And you won't know whether you enjoy it until you try it.

Last night the fear of bombing was so overwhelming that I just resolved to bombing.

i now accept that I am going to bomb on my first night and I will tell all my friends to expect that I am going to bomb and that this is less an exercise in making people laugh but more an exercise in getting used to performing in front of an audience.

the expectation of bombing eases the pressure off having to make anyone laugh and makes the whole process a lot less frightening.

wish I based my routine on bombing now...