Clown laughing. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Problems
1 Where can I attend a comedy or compere course?
1 What if I am not eligible, not near the venue, don't have time and just want to watch on line?
Answer
1 Amused Moose course update.
2
Watch comedy TED talk on line. The lady demonstrates to the audience
1 Make yourself memorable by telling a joke about your current or previous profession.
She tells a story about pastors. She was a pastor or pastor's wife. I can tell a story about a speaker.
2 Get the audience to act in pairs.
3 Mislead the audience about when to start.
4 Do a short audience game.
5 Have an action and a silent part alternating. (That way the noise doesn't build to such a crescendo that you can't get back their attention.
6 Keep switching so both members get a chance to act or speak.
7 Get feedback from the audience.
8 Repeat what was said by the audience. (I listened to the video and either the sound on it goes quiet at the end or my playback isn't up to it. Unless you have subtitles and tell the watchers how to find them, repeat the audience shouts and comments, for the benefit of people n the audience at the time and anybody watching later. Give feedback and summarise at the end.
9 End with follow up action, how people can contact you, see you again.
10 Interestingly she does this to develop team work and customer service.
Does it always work for everybody? That depends on whether the exercise is short enough and has a purpose and does not eat into time needed for more vital activities.
On one occasion I went to a Toastmaster's conference where we had a game which involved a scrummage and passing balls and tying people up with string and knocking items off an overhead line.
Everybody else seemed to think it was hilarious. Except for three people. One left immediately. One left half way through. I stayed to the end, watching a very frustrated photographer who could not get any photos of the event because it was a melee.
Riotous Games
Why did I not join in?
a) It seemed pointless.
b) It was wasting time.
c) It was not related to the promised programme (learning to speak).
d) I was tired and not sufficiently quick thinking to do an active game.
e) I was smaller than several large men and thought I would be trodden on or knocked over in the scrum.
f) The clearing of chairs and putting unguarded property in piles on a far table or under it and scattered around the room, some of which was moved, did not strike me as safe. I was afraid of losing my shoes, smart shoulder bag, clipboard, notebook and pen, and spectacles, mobile phone, and damaging my clothes and property.
When does it work for everybody? At one conference we were missing the speaker leading a workshop. Nobody noticed because in the ten to twenty minute wait the Area Governor got us to stand in a circle and do an introduce yourself event.
We formed in pairs, of people who did not already know each other. If one person was left over, they paired with the leader.
We said our name, how to pronounce it, where we lived and worked, what our job or hobby was. We stopped after two minutes to repeat to the person what they had told us.
Then we swapped who did the talking and who did the listening. For the last five minutes we went around the circle saying what we had learned about the person on our right.
If the person due to speak had not arrived, we could have continued with: "My name is .... What (other person's name) didn't tell you was that I ...."
If we had needed to wait another five minutes we could have played, "What I would like you to help me with ..." . We could have ended with, "What I can help you with ..."
If we had needed to fill another five minutes we could have gone around the circle with feedback on what we thought of the game, when we could use it for networking in a club or organization.
Each of these games is a successful way of filling time when the meeting is running late - or the speaker doesn't turn up at all!
If you are running a conference where many people are there to make friends or network, include an exchange of business cards so the audience feel they have met you and somebody in the audience.
You Tube On Ted Talk And Demo On Improv With Audience Workshop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMxS27bvM0s
https://www.amusedmoose.com/media/
http://speakersandtoastmasters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/what-i-learned-about-improv-at-brighton
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
No comments:
Post a Comment