Why Do Stand Up Comedy: Chantal Morrissette Takes The Mic

I'd talk with friends and they would laugh about the things that I'd say. I would absolutely not be thinking about being funny - I would just say things - and so I thought 'Hey, maybe it would be interesting to actually try to be humourous?' 

I didn't know anything about the specific techniques of creating jokes so it would have been great to learn, but then I would think maybe I'm not actually that funny? Maybe my friends laugh at what I say because they are my friends? Maybe it comes to me spontaneously but it's not going to come easily or naturally on stage? Things like that stopped me. I kept thinking I'll do it one day, one day, one day - until finally came the day to sign up to the Stand Up Comedy course and I'm very happy that it did!

I work in risk management, and I'm an engineer, but at the same time I think I already had all the interests that would lead me here, to my first ever showcase performance at City Academy. We had a talent show at our office in Canada a couple years ago and a friend and I put on a bit of a sketch, and I think that that's when I first thought to explore stand up. I'd watch great comedians like Trevor Noah or Jon Oliver and I'd admire them, and wish one day I could do something like that! Now I'm thinking, why not pursue this professionally even?

I believe the power of comedy is that it changes things. In a way, it can plant an idea in you. It tells you 'Hey, pay attention to this' but because it's in a friendly, funny way, you don't feel threatened or judged.

It allows me to talk about something without necessarily judging -  don't get me wrong, sometimes the jokes are judging, but it's in a funny way. So I love that comedy brings people together and I love that it allows you to give a message - it makes me feel a little bit like I can do something about what I believe in.

Most of my material is just life experience - it was a friend who came from Canada to visit me here and said 'Hey, I don't know why the English have only hot and only cold taps?' and every time I went to the toilet after it was like, 'Oh my god! It's true it makes no sense at all!' Another thing that has always bugged me is that you have to reserve a massage, like you know when your back is going to hurt?

I always noticed these little things before the course - the big difference now is that I take notes of these thoughts, and then work on structure to make things even funnier. So if you're thinking about doing it, just do it - the worst that can happen is that at least you know it's not for you, but if it is for you, the earlier the better!

Chantal took the Stand Up - Beginners With Showcase course, and has gone on to do Stand Up - Skills Development. To see the rest of our Comedy and Stand Up courses, see here >>>