Laughing Matters - Couverture souple

Jacobi, Steven

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0099476630 ISBN 13 : 9780099476634

Editeur : Arrow, 2006

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

What makes people laugh? Where does the urge to make people laugh come from? And just how hard can it really be to become a stand-up comedian? In pursuit of the answers to these questions - and more - writer and comedy obsessive, Steven Jacobi has set himself a horrifying task: to perform as a stand-up comic in six comedy clubs around Britain. (The Amused Moose, at the Enterprise in Chalk Farm; XSMalarkey in Manchester; the Cheeky Monkey at the Station in Kings Heath, Birmingham; Ha! in New York; Oi! Oi! in Eastbourne and Up the Creek in Greenwich, London.)
As he gathers together material for his big adventure, Jacobi tracks down his comedy heroes, Ken Dodd and Woody Allen and seeks their advice and wisdom. He looks at the long tradition of British humour and looks to, among others, a Python, Eric Sykes, Frank Skinner and Steve Coogan to get their take on comedy.
Only then does he embark on his ordeal, logging - in unsparing detail - the venues, audiences, hecklers and humiliation. All the while charting his all-important material, evolving - and hopefully refining - as he travels across the country on his masochistic odyssey.

Quatrième de couverture :

I began to speak, the words pouring out in an uncontrolled surge. At first the audience seemed genuinely bemused by what they were hearing, then a little restless. One or two, however, were quite attentive. A chap with an overbite in the third row was smiling to himself. Encouraged, I ploughed on. As I came to a stop, I counted four disticnts laughs - and a guffaw. I did something which looked a bit like a bow and plunged back behind the curtain.
"Well done, " said Number Three, pushing past me towards the stage, "that was very average."

The British are proud of their sense of humour. Nothing like it in the world. We watch comedians hold an audience in the palm of their hands and think: I could do that. We watch comdedians flounder and think: I could do much better than that.

But none of us try it, because none of us deep down has the nerve. Steven Jacobi however, did.
And in Laughing Matters he tells of his search for the comedian's elixir - and just what it is that makes people laugh.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Arrow
• Date d'édition: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0099476630
• ISBN 13: 9780099476634
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 352