Compering and Improv for Stand-up Workshop

Whether you’re an open mic comic wanting to learn the basics of compering or a more seasoned pro keen to extend your skill set, join accomplished compere Ben Van der Velde for this four hour workshop focusing on the skills of hosting and crowd work.

In this workshop we'll cover:

* How to unlock your creativity and natural improvisational skills
* Persona and status
* How to get at least 5 laughs from each audience member
* Asking better questions to mine better information and create better riffs
* Endowing audience members to create fantasy worlds to play with
* Performing one man scenes
* How to create a story of the night by weaving together different audience interaction

We'll also look at useful shortcuts for effective crowdwork, how to deal with hecklers and how to host non-comedy events. All abilities/levels of experience welcome.

MORE ABOUT BEN:

Ben Van der Velde is a stand-up comedian, actor, improviser and presenter who, over the past few years has spread joy and nonsense to all four corners of the British Isles, as well as Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Norway.

He is a regular host and act for respected British comedy clubs such as The Stand, Komedia, Just the Tonic, The Backyard, Covent Garden Comedy Club, Outside the Box, Comedy Club 4 Kids, Off the Kerb and The Comedy Café, as well as hosting stages for Bestival, Festival No.6, End of the Road and Sunday Papers Live. He also has experience of performing at RAF Bases, large corporate events, hosting comedy workshops and doing audience warm-up for Deal Or No Deal. On top of that, he has taken commissions to perform a voodoo re-marriage ceremony, founded the Church of the Holy Kazoo with comedy legend Mark Thomas, walked the entire London Underground network for charity and even took part in experiments at The Royal Society that revealed him to have the most infectious laugh of any human, rat or monkey.

Ben is a regular performer at the Edinburgh Festival, where he has performed four critically-acclaimed shows: Chain Letter, Strudelhead, Barbarians and Sidekick for which he has received 5 and 4 star reviews, whilst several of jokes made it into lists of ‘Best Joke at the Fringe’ compiled by The Scotsman, i-News and The Huffington Post.

CRITICAL PRAISE FOR BEN:

“Whipsharp…with an air of mischievous mayhem…his hit rate is impressive, while his in-the-moment style creates a buzz of excitement in the room…a life-giving compere.” Chortle

“Highly promising…an accomplished comic.” Time Out

“Wonderfully improvised riffs showcasing his impressive spontaneity and sharp tongue.” Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

“Exquisite comic timing…wonderfully clownish physical comedy.” British Theatre Guide

PRAISE FOR THE WORKSHOP:

"Before Ben's enjoyable and productive workshop, I didn't feel very confident talking to the audience. Within six months of doing the workshop I was offered my first TV hosting job and I felt prepared and excited for it." William Stone

"As a pro stand-up comedian and student of long form improv I’d been grappling with bringing the two performance disciplines together on stage at once. Ben’s course bridges the gap between the two forms of comedy brilliantly. He gives great guidance on finding your comedy premise on stage and how to deal with your own fear to take risks. I now feel more able to ignore fear, to push into the unknown and to trust my own comedy instincts." Paul F Taylor

"The workshop was brilliant! The four hours flew by. Ben is very generous and has a really positive "can do" attitude towards comedy. I left feeling a lot stronger as a comic." Aideen McQueen

"I have been doing stand up for two decades but Ben's workshop taught me things I still hadn't learned. He's encouraged me to bust out of my scripted straitjacket and be more playful on stage. Would recommend this workshop to any comic no matter what their level." Andy White