Lesson 20 · Improv moves · 6 min · Crowd work
Crowd work: curiosity is the joke
How comics riff with strangers, and how you can too
The big ideaCrowd work looks like quick wit, but it starts with genuine curiosity. The comic asks a real question, listens properly, and finds the funny in the answer.
Watch the pro do it
Watch forAn audience member asks how to be funny. Watch what Carr does before he gets the laugh: he asks, listens, and reacts to the exact words the person used. His version is a roast; yours at dinner will be warmer, but the listening is the same.
Via Jimmy Carr on YouTube
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More pros doing it
Bobby Lee has zero ego about being the punchline, and it makes everyone around him relax. Watch how he answers embarrassing questions by leaning in instead of getting defensive.