Comedy Performance

On December 22, 1953, Mort Sahl took the stage at San Francisco's hungry i and changed comedy forever. Before him, standup was about everything but hard news and politics. In his wake, a new generation of smart comics emerged - Shelley Berman, Mike Nichols, and Elaine May, Lenny Bruce, Bob Newhart, Dick Gregory, Woody Allen, and the Smothers Brothers, among others.

Learning how easy improv is can be the hard part. There are important lessons in life that can lead to better improv scenes. And there are important lessons in improv that can lead to a better life. By putting improv techniques under an electron microscope of reason, The Tao of Improv: A Philosophy of Creating a Scene can improve the way we function, understand, and interact - on stage and off. Excerpts from the Tao Te Ching are woven into an overall philosophy of scenic improv acting.

Dad Jokes: Terribly Hilarious and Clean Fun Jokes for All Ages is a compilation of jokes on many subjects to get giggles and groans out of all those closest to you! With everything from silly on-liners to full-story jokes, you’re sure to find one for any occasion that will delight family, friends, coworkers, and even passersby at the grocery store.

Ade Edmondson smashed onto the comedy circuit in the 1980s, stormed The Comedy Store and, alongside Rik Mayall, brought anarchy to stage and screen. How did a child brought up in a strict Methodist household – and who spent his formative years incarcerated in repressive boarding schools – end up joining the revolution? Well, he is part Norse. Could it be his berserker heritage? With wisdom, nostalgia and uniquely observed humour, Ade traces his journey through life and comedy.

The Woke—that humorless, joyless, shame-inducing virus—are killing comedy…and that is great for comedians! So argues award-winning comedian Lou Perez in his hilarious and provocative book debut, That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore. Through the lens of comedy, Lou examines anti-racism, sex, gender, cancel culture, and all the modern-day sacred cows that have been propped up in recent years. An equal-opportunity offender, nothing is safe from his mockery. Lou punches up, he punches down—he’s throwing haymakers in every direction!

Often imitated but never bettered, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is the only authentic antidote to panel games. This collection finds unflappable chairman Humphrey Lyttelton giving silly things to do to regular panelists Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden, as well as special guests Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon. Highlights include old favourites such as One Song to the Tune of Another, 84 Chicken Cross Road, Sound Charades, New Definitions and of course the brilliantly baffling, fiendishly funny Mornington Crescent.

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were two of the brightest stars ever to light up the world of comedy. They set standards that will probably never be surpassed. Cambridge graduates who met in Beyond the Fringe, their chemistry produced some of the funniest, most inventive and downright brilliant comedy ever recorded. They came to wider fame with the TV series Not Only… But Also. The writing and performances were superb....

Berlin, Summer 2011. Adolf Hitler wakes up on a patch of open ground, alive and well. Things have changed – no Eva Braun, no Nazi party, no war. Hitler barely recognises his beloved Fatherland, filled with immigrants and run by a woman. People certainly recognise him, albeit as a flawless impersonator who refuses to break character. The unthinkable, the inevitable happens, and the ranting Hitler goes viral, becomes a YouTube star, gets his own T.V. show, and people begin to listen.

For as long as she can remember, Grace Campbell has been told that she doesn't suit her name. But being graceful is no fun anyway. Growing up in a world of privilege and politics, she had a lot to feel confident about. But she was also a record-breaker when it came to feeling shame. Shame about sex, shame about rejection, shame about mental health.

Crowdbending: Mastering the Art of Shaping Laughter & Audience Connection By John Heffron 🎤 What if I told you the audience isn’t in control of your show—you are? 🎤 Ever watched a comic own the stage—like they’re bending the energy of the entire room to their will? It’s not luck. It’s not charisma. It’s Crowdbending. Whether you’re a stand-up comedian, public speaker, or just want to command attention at your next presentation, Crowdbending teaches you the science and art behind captivating any crowd. This isn’t just about telling jokes. It’s about controlling the ...

Tumbling from one love entanglement to another, 30-something teacher Izzy Comyn has a predilection for inappropriate men. Over the three hilarious series of Up the Garden Path, Izzy, played by Imelda Staunton, deals with the complicated ups and downs of her attempts to find true love.

‘I never once attended a Sunday morning church service in Stanford. There was always the feeling that they weren’t aimed at families like ours.’ Pam Ayres was the sixth child in a hard-up family who lived in a council house, her parents’ generation were harrowed by the war. Yet they lived by the green in the village of Stanford in the Vale, where everything you needed was within walking distance and the sound of motorcars was rarely heard.

Prove you are the most cultured person in the room with 500 true trivia facts about pop culture. These facts are so absurd some might even say that they sound like bull$#*t! Explore the scandalous and the secretive in this all access addition to the True Facts series that spills all the gossip of your favorite celebrities, movies, music, and more. Give the gift that keeps giving to friends, family, fathers, or grads and test your knowledge

The history books are full of heroes and villains… but what about all the idiots? Comedian and armchair historian Mikey Robins tells the astonishing story of human stupidity, one idiot at a time. Idiots, Follies and Misadventures shows that human stupidity has always been our constant companion. History tends to omit tales of human fallibility. We overlook the dubious and ridiculous contributions made by history’s tawdry parade of knuckleheads. But this book is a call to arms … Knuckleheads Assemble! And once assembled, prepare to be mocked.

More than a hundred years have passed since P. G. Wodehouse started writing of Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves, but the stories have lost none of their humor. Bertie Wooster is not very bright, but he enjoys the services of the clever Jeeves, who extricates him from a variety of problems. Wodehouse’s writing is witty and engaging.

For comedian Pat McGann, the days of getting wrecked at bachelor parties and chasing girls in Mexico are over…but the party’s just starting. Now, the pragmatic husband and lovingly indifferent father of three juggles soccer games, trips to the zoo, and reluctant dinners with other married couples.

Jolly Joke Books presents Knock Knock Jokes 2: For Kids - 125 child-friendly knock knock jokes for kids! These jokes will bring smiles to children’s faces. Enjoy this audiobook with the children in your life.

In this brand-new memoir, Rylan invites us deeper into his world to reflect on all the things he's learnt from a decade in the limelight, whilst also pulling back the curtain on his personal journey. Covering everything from fame and celebrity to mental health and identity, family and relationships to his love of reality TV, he recounts his life lessons with humour, candour and a huge amount of heart. From the moments that have shaped him to the mistakes that have made him, and the unusual pastimes that have obsessed him along the way.

For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny. All About Me! charts Mel Brooks' meteoric rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts.

Tom Wilson, the actor, comedian, and writer best known for playing "Biff" in the classic movie "Back to the Future," goes on an unplanned adventure after meeting fellow actor Clayton Moore, the man who played The Lone Ranger on T.V., experienced the pitfalls of pop celebrity, and most notably, died over a decade ago.