How to Overcome a Bad Show in 5 Easy Steps

It’s not only beginners who have a “bad” show from time to time. By “bad” I mean the shows where you are not happy with the result. It doesn't matter what was wrong: it could be your material, delivery, tough crowd, or just a coincidence. By the way, some comedians think that you can’t blame the audience if they didn't laugh at your jokes. In that opinion, the only thing people need to do is to take their seat at the venue. I do not 100% agree with this, though you can make your own conclusion. Anyways. You had a difficult experience and you need to deal with it - these are my five easy steps for overcoming “bad” experiences and keep performing.

Calm down emotions. 20 minutes is more than enough. There is an idea that the worst emotional pain lasts up to 12 minutes. After that time, it’s your own reflection. Anyways, don’t try to suppress emotions; feel it and let go. Breathe, write down your fears or emotions. Drink alcohol eventually. My way to overcome this period - long walk back home.

Appreciate this experience. Let's think about what was good in your performance. You didn't forget the material? Good. Tried new jokes? Excellent, give them two more chances to work. Maybe you felt the mood of the audience and cut or changed some jokes right before or during the performance. Cool-cool, you are flexible. Even if you totally screwed up, now you know what you should never do again.

What to do better? Ok, you admitted this experience; now it's time to work. If you have a video from your show, be brave enough to watch it. Trust me, it's not THAT bad! Watching yourself first of all you might criticise not only performance - the way you look, clothes, speech and so on. Stop it! If you don't like jokes or hairstyle, let's find a way to change it. And don't be a perfectionist - the most boring and unproductive thing in my opinion).

Now it's time to make a list of “What to do better”. You can write down all things that didn't work at that show and edit it: in one joke you need a better punch, in another to cut a big setup. Maybe you need to reorder your set or do something with a delivery. You can ask for feedback from other comedians that performed with you the last time. Remember about calming down emotions.

Next show to improve. After you work on your “What to do better” list, let's apply it to the next show. If you already have an application, don't delete it. If you don't have any, apply! This is the most important moment to keep going, especially if you are a newbie. Also, you need to remember that one bad show wouldn't destroy your career or hobby. If your joke didn't work once, it doesn't matter if it's bad. I do a new joke 2-3 times and, if it doesn't work, I edit it or save it for later. 

Also let's think about delivery. Maybe people just don’t hear or understand you. That happened to me at my third show. I had a severe accent and didn't do any intonations, because in my native language we almost don't have it. After three lessons with my English teacher, I did 100% the same set one week later and it killed it. 

Believe in yourself again. Because who else will, right? No, false. Of course you have or will have somebody to support you on your way. But self support is the most important thing. I have a little secret: when I look at people in the audience, I always know there are at least two people who want to perform but they would never do it, while I have enough confidence or stupidity to perform regularly. This doubtful idea always helps me. Let's keep going and see you on stage!