How do we create comedy on purpose when most funny things happen by accident

Convener(s):Tony Bell

Participants: Alan Cox, Jonnie McGunness, Frances Gray, Siri Ingall, John Hoggart, Crispian Belfrage, John-Paul Von Cauwelart, Helen Ashworth, Zoe Gilmour

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

How do we give Tony a career in stand up?

He wants to move away from the calamity of theatre

Phelim said just book a gig and do it and keep doing it and like Eddie Izzard  you will be very unfunny for a long time and then you will be funny perhaps for once in your life. He tries to be as unfunny

John said how a lot of people on the stand up circuit are aggressive… grrr

John Mcguinnes said that everything is worked out that even the spontaneous bits are rehearsed. Comedy in the theatre is good acting

Groups of comedians can be quite intimidating

How can a funny person use it as a tool professionally?

Jokes in themselves aren’t funny?

Crispian said stuff about low self esteem- it gives you limited possibilities in life. He went on a course which was an executive success program run by a man with an iQ of 172. We all have an idea of how the world is and then there is the reality of the world

Watch out for a low sofa, team!

Cruelty?

How do alcoholics get their work done? Tommy Cooper would get drunk with his wife in Eastbourne. If she laughed it was in the show. He had a wife to batter ideas against

There was a lot of people with a lot of opinions, and that was a bit boring