Comedy theory

Lucy Lambourne

Im just wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of any books on stand-up theory. I'm not looking for a "how to manual" or anything like that. More something along the lines of the socio-cultural development or even more abstract in theory. There's a couple of that I know of like "Stand up theory, or abjection in America" and of course Freuds work on jokes and their relation to the unconscious. Anything related to anthropology, sociology, philosophy or cultural studies would be helpful.

Thanks x

Damon Blake

http://www.amazon.com/Impro-Storytellers-Theatre-Routledge-Paperback/dp/0878301054/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235126236&sr=1-2

deals with the use of storytelling in comedy, the copy i have has a group of tribesmen in the round telling stories on the cover, it's very theory based in terms of why people react to jokes, inhibitions and the collective power of stories. might not what you're looking for though.

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Joke-Workings-Stand-Up-Performance/dp/0413774767/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235126395&sr=1-14

is very comprehensive in terms of history of standup, theory, censorship, style, etc. not really a guide to doing it, might be of use.

can give you those if interested.

edward de bono has done a lot of writing on the idea of comedy that i enjoyed, don't remember exactly where though as i left my copies in oz.

http://www.amazon.com/Comedy-After-Postmodernism-Rereading-Willeford/dp/0896724409/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235126579&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Humor-Paradox-Ignacio-Gotz/dp/0275978958/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235126579&sr=1-8

i found those while trying to find one of the de bono books.

grames_bond

another good one is actually jimmy carrs book[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Naked-Jape-Uncovering-Hidden-World/dp/0718148711] the naked jape.[/url] good insight to joke telling both on and off stage!

Lucy Lambourne

Thanks very, very much. You've been most helpful x

Damon Blake

I'm sure you found them yourself but if you look at the postmodernism book and click "books that cite this book" or whatever it will link you into a plethora of other readings.

Or you could just try and quote Forrest People from first year anthropology again.

Get at least some use from those Mbuti bastards.

SlimJ

"Comedy at the Edge" by Richard Zoglin is the best book about modern American comedy that I've ever read.

"Comic Insights" by Franklin Ajaye is a great collection of interviews he did with comics like Louis Anderson, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, Richard Lewis etc. Straight from the horses mouth, if horses were famous comedians.