
No. 04Characters
The Know-It-All and the Innocent: Two Comic Character Engines
Know-it-all and innocent comic characters create friction in opposite ways; learn how certainty and missed meaning…
Read the choices behind the laugh.

A closer look
Comedy has mechanics as well as mischief. We look at the writing, performance and audience expectations that make a comic idea work—or leave it flat.

No. 04Characters
Know-it-all and innocent comic characters create friction in opposite ways; learn how certainty and missed meaning…

No. 03Timing
Why a pause can make a punchline smaller: learn when to mark silence, when to leave it open and how to give performers…

No. 02Performance
Louder delivery does not automatically make a joke funnier. Learn how clarity, contrast and intention give comic lines…

Audience
A comedy night at home feels more varied when formats and pace take turns. Choose an order that suits your guests, room and attention.
Read the pieceThat turn is the heart of a joke setup: it offers an audience a likely meaning, then redirects it.A Setup Is a Promise the Joke Plans to Break
We examine what a comic choice asks of its audience, and what it gives back. No formula guarantees a laugh; the details are where the interest lies.