Stand-up Comedy Writing & Performing Group

Next stand-up coaching options:

WRITING STAND-UP (ZOOM COURSE)Coming up in January is the latest round of my Writing Stand-up Zoom sessions. You're welcome to come if you're new or if you've been before (it's different each time). Info and booking

STAND-UP CROWD WORK SESSION (LONDON ONE DAY WORKSHOP)

And if you are in London or can get there, I'm running the crowd work session with Geoff Whiting (top MC and master of crowd work). The blog below also discusses persona games in crowd work.

Info and booking

ONE-TO-ONE ZOOM COACHING

Stand-up Persona Sessions – Week 2 Notes (Persona Games, Status, Archetypes, and Likeability)

In the second session of my Stand-up Persona classes, we explored four key areas:

Persona Games, Status, Archetypes, and Likeability.

In these notes I’m sharing more widely, here are tips on persona games and archetypes, looking at using these persona traits to inform writing.

• Persona Games: These are the key mechanisms for exploring a comedic persona, defined as the playful aspects of attitude, character [and] temperament.

1. Persona Games

Is it true the audience have to like you to laugh at your stand-up? Yes! Does this mean you have to be nice? No! In this video I discuss likeability in stand-up, how the positive aspects of your persona are why the audience like you and the negative are why they find you funny.

I also give you quick a writing exercise to try out flipping from your positive to negative voice. If you'd like to do the exercise in the clip, here is the list of positive and negative qualities.

And here is the video.

Notes from my Zoom Session on 24^th November 2025 with a group of gigging comics.

This week I led the first of a two part Zoom course in developing your stand-up persona. To give you a flavour of the session, and some tips, here are notes from the session.

1. Definition and Nature of a Stand-up Persona

• Definition: A persona is the version of yourself that you put on stage.

  
  

Two Primary Ways to Conceive Your PersonaTwo main approaches to defining your on-stage persona:

1. The Positive/Ideal Self: Your most relaxed, playful, and lively version of yourself (like you at a party).