Responding to Hecklers in Stand-up Comedy

I teach crowd work and compering with top comic and MC Geoff Whiting. A subject that comes up in both contexts is responding to heckling. (We have a crowd work session coming up in London in September 20205) Here are some thoughts from Geoff and me.

Chris Head says:

Firstly, if a heckler shouts out something genuinely funny, and the audience laughs, then the best reaction is to laugh along with the audience. Allow them their ‘win’. If you can go on to add to their joke, even better.

Turning to disruptive heckles that aren’t witty, when someone heckles it’s common practice to repeat it so everyone has heard what you’re responding to. Alternatively, you ask them to repeat what they said. The "get them to repeat it" technique, isn't a "joke" in itself, it's a prepared strategy that buys time and often exposes the heckler. It's a foundational strategy that every comedian can usefully have in their arsenal.

The "Get Them to Repeat It" Technique

Unless you have the perfect response ready to go, when a heckler shouts something, I suggest asking them, as if you're genuinely interested, to repeat what they said. (It doesn’t matter how loud or clear it was. Still ask them to repeat it). This serves several purposes:

* Buys Time: Gives you time to think of your response.

* Exposes the Heckler: Often, the heckle loses its impact or sounds less clever when repeated, especially if it was clumsy or not well-thought-out.

* Engages the Audience: The audience becomes complicit in waiting for the repeat, creating a shared experience and putting pressure on the heckler.

* They may not repeat it – in which case there is nothing to respond to. You could say something like, ‘I must be hearing things’ or comment on their lack of commitment.

* Allows for Better Comebacks: Hearing it again gives you more to develop a witty retort.

You can even repeat it after they’ve repeated it! It’s now been said three times and is weakening every time. At the end of all this, you may well have thought of a good comeback. If not, you can fall back on a prepared line. There are many pre-prepared lines you can use when dealing with heckling.

Prepared lines: "Ready-Made" Comebacks

You can rely on your wits, but here's a breakdown of why prepared lines are helpful. For newer comedians especially, having a few prepared lines can significantly reduce the anxiety associated with heckling. Knowing you have something to say, even if it's a generic put-down, can make you feel more confident and less likely to freeze.

* Buys Time for Spontaneity: Paradoxically, having a prepared line can actually help you be more spontaneous. If you know you have a backup, your mind is freed up to listen to the heckle and potentially craft an original, on-the-spot retort. If you don’t think of anything, you still have the prepared line to fall back on.

* Common Scenarios: There are certain types of heckles that are very common ("You're shit!", "Tell us a joke!", "Get off!"). Having a few go-to responses for these generic interruptions can be practical.

Any prepared line needs to fit the comedian's established persona and comedic style. A dry, sarcastic comic will deliver a line differently than an energetic, observational one. The same line can fall flat if it doesn't feel authentic to the performer. Also, even the most brilliant prepared line will fail if delivered poorly. Confidence, timing, and eye contact are crucial. The comedian needs to convey that they are in control, not flustered. Delivery is Key.

Prepared lines for heckling are a useful tool, especially for newer acts, to build confidence and handle common situations, and most comics will use them from time to time. However, they ultimate aim is to develop the quick-wittedness and improvisation skills that allow for original responses to whatever comes your way.

Geoff Whiting says:

As for put downs, I agree with Chris that spontaneous comebacks are the best ones if you can conjure them up…this is always the case! In terms of having lines ready, there are about thirty shared pre-prepared put downs that most professional comics typically use. Unlike material, it is not considered stealing if you use a set put down that many comics all know.

However, they come in categories, pre-set put downs must be used to mirror what has been said from the audience in terms of their ’severity’. If someone is talking over one of your jokes for example (probably telling a friend they want a drink etc) them a ‘mild’ put down is appropriate using a full on (strong) put down at this point is to miss read the mood of the room.

A mild put down that would suit this kind of situation is ‘are you heckling, or just shit at whispering?’

If someone shouts ’taxi for the comedian’ or some such, a stronger, but measured put down is appropriate.

An example of a stronger put down is ‘you sound like you’ve been drinking since six...or even younger’ or ‘never drink on an empty head’

If someone begins to heckle repeatedly though the show, a ‘last resort’ strong put down is appropriate.

A put down for a persistent heckler - and therefore a strong line is ‘that guy was sitting at home this afternoon thinking, I know I’m a c*nt but how can I prove it in a room full of people’

…as a comic that does not use the 'c word' anywhere in my set, I do still use this if necessary, it simply has impact!

It is unwise to use the stronger ones at the wrong time and in response to what are minor interruptions or comments from the audience. You must learn which is appropriate by reading the room at all times, that is a crucial skill for a stand up/MC to have.

Not all pre-prepared lines and ideas and will suit everyone of course, which is why developing/ writing your own pre-prepared put downs is a valuable exercise too. I have seen many comedians using their own prepared lines over time but that are specific to their comedy ‘personas’. Many acts use references to their own appearance, age, sex, sexuality, race, religion, philosophy and incorporate these to their put downs, thus making them more ‘authentic’ and specific.

Trying to write a couple of your own, bespoke put downs is a useful exercise I did this myself as a new act and I used a couple of them on and off for a good many years so it proved worthwhile.

Geoff and I are running a one-day crowd work workshop in London in September.

Info and booking.