Often, it starts with unscripted back-and-forth between performer and crowd. Can a comedian rightly complain, then, when the crowd answer back? There is even the school of thought that says heckling improves standup — because it keeps it inescapably a live. The most memorable moments are often those of unrepeatable surprise, happening for one audience only. Comedy has a ready access to those — so much so that many a standup from Bob Hope to Andy Kaufman has planted their own hecklers in the crowd.
While few nowadays go so far, it is unlikely many comics would endorse a total ban on heckling — or not without worrying about the baby vanishing with the bathwater. Comedy can ill afford to jettison its jeopardy; the quality that sustains it, just about, as the least predictable and sanitised of the live artforms.
And audiences often love to see a heckle fielded with sang-froid, authority and brutal wit — which requires more subtle skills than you may think. It is about distinguishing between context, comedian and genus of heckle. There is the heckle that seeks to disrupt and the heckle that seeks, playfully, to contribute. And there are those acts who thrive on backchat step forward, Jimmy Carr and those who do nothing to invite it.
If you know which ones are which, and are mindful of basic manners, then feel free to heckle — if you dare. Solved Comedy. Gagging order: is it ever OK to heckle a comedian? Crowd plunder … Jimmy Carr. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
Heckling sucks. It's not funny, cute or helpful. Believe it or not, comedians hate hecklers. Dealing with a drunk moron is not necessarily part of a comic's game plan when he or she steps on a stage. Sure, most pros can cope with hecklers and shut them down, but that's comes from years of dealing with assholes who just don't seem to understand the basic concept that they should never speak up.
It's not helping. The number one misconception is that shouted out usually drunken verbal abuse is somehow helpful to a comedian.
This is nonsense. Heckling is not helpful or sought after. It doesn't make the show better and it's not showing anybody how clever you are.
You want to help? Keep your comments to yourself. It's not crowd work for the comic. Crowd work is crowd work. Heckling is heckling and never the two shall meet. Crowd work will always be initiated by the comedian. If comedians want your opinion on a topic they will ask you. Sure, lots of comics do great crowd work, and it can be the funniest part of the show, but it's always their job to start and control it.
It's not funny. The heckler is never as funny as they think they are. Again, it's an uninvited interruption. It throws the comic of his or her timing, can break concentration and can stop a great show in its tracks.
Sure, the shutting down of a heckler by the comic can be super funny, but that has way more to do with a comedian's skill set then heckler being a jerk. Which leads into the next reason.
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