Darren Maskell hates the stand-ups who help hm

In my year and a half of performing stand-up, I’ve developed from a wide eyed, enthusiastic young man into a bitter resentful being.

The more experienced comics at the start of my comedic endeavours promised this would happen. Eighteen months of performing five-minute spots at open mic nights has resulted in the promise of the chance of performing even more five minute spots at open mic nights….

But at least after this time, I can put some sort of answer together when asked what my style of comedy is: surreal with elements of anti comedy.

And this is why I am bitter and resentful. I know that at the level I’m performing at, and the gigs I do, it’s very difficult to progress to a higher level. The fast option is to do well in a competition or gong show, but because my act is not tailored to short snappy punchlines, performing a tight five minutes to impress an audience or panel of judges is difficult.

The limitation of only having gigs of five-minute sets is also restrictive, and due to the style of my act, I can’t really achieve what I would like to in the short space of time given to me.

I watch a lot of acts whose comedy I tend to find very mainstream with lazy observations done in a slick style of performance. Comedy audiences lap it up. I feel resentful, knowing that those who aren’t comedy-savvy are ignorant to how little inventiveness is required for this style of comedy, but will love it nonetheless.

But I’ve learned that I need these acts. I’ve performed at gigs after these acts, and achieved a good response. Would have I had done well, if they had not warmed the audience beforehand? Going on as a surreal act to a cold audience who are not used to seeing my type of comedy isn’t easy. So as much as I feel their comedy is lacklustre, I depend on their ability to loosen an audience in order for them to feel comfortable with my own act.

I still resent them, though.

Published: 5 Feb 2010