Everyone is nervous when they are first starting to do comedy, but if you follow these five tips, you'll have a better performance and look like a pro... the jokes are up to you though.

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5 Stage Tips For New Stand-Up Comics

Perfect for new and beginning comedians.

1. Stand In The Light

When performing stand up comedy, it is important to make sure you stand in the light. All stages are different and not all of the have good lights. Some just have a spotlight. Make sure you stay in the spotlight so the audience can see your face. The audience can pick up on a lot of expression from your face which makes jokes funnier.

2. Move The Mic Stand

When you get the mic, move the mic stand behind you. Do not leave it in front of you unless you are using it for a bit. The best thing is to take it and move it behind you right away as you are greeting the audience.

3. You're Not Rapping

So many comics want to grab the mic at the top like Snoop in a video, but you don't want to do that. hold it near the bottom and not right up to your mouth. Let people see your face and don't talk right into it. 

4. Don't Pace

When you are doing stand up, don't pace. Stay where you are unless you have a reason to move to another location. If it is a huge stage you can move around, but don't pace. Pacing can be very distracting to an audience. Focus on telling jokes and even plan your movements before you perform.

5. Don't Play With Mic Cord

A lot of new comics will play with the mic cord because they are nervous. Don't do that. Being aware of it, helps, but having a plan for your hands is better. Like the pacing tip, make a plan for your movement and your hands. If you can act out a joke and using your hands, you will likely get a better response.

I hope these help. These are the same things I teach the new comedians that come to my open mic every week. There is a lot to being a comic besides being funny, and a lot of that is how you communicate and connect with your audience by using your body and your jokes.

Good luck.

Let me know if these helped in the comments below.

Thank you for reading.