BBC Radio Scotland FM

The Art of Warm-Up

Documentaries

Comedy: Standup

26/12/2016

BBC Radio Scotland - The Art of Warm-Up

Jo Caulfield explores the art of warming up a crowd for someone else's benefit...

Jo Caulfield explores the art of the warm-up comedian, the unsung heroes of the comedy world.

Warm up isn't just comedy's training ground. For some, it's a career, says Jo Caulfield...

Being an audience member for a TV sitcom or panel show can be a repetitive experience. If you want them to laugh on cue at the same scene or gag five times in a row you're going to need a top notch warm up act. With regular stints on The Graham Norton show and Have I got News for You, Jo Caulfield has intimate knowledge of being among those unsung heroes of comedy broadcasting.

It's a branch of comedy all of its own - jokes have to be short because the floor manager can suddenly say, 'Right. That's it.' And the gags have to be light - you're there to provide energy and quick laughs, whipping up the room to make the main act go off with a bang. Sitcoms are hardest with all the retakes and technical interruptions, so the warm up act has to be ready at a moment's notice to keep people giggling. It also means walking a very fine line. If you're doing a panel or chat show you can't overshadow the star or guests - you can't be too good if you hope to be asked back.

Warm up acts are the unsung heroes of the comedy world, and in this programme, Jo Caulfield salutes them...

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