Stand-up as a Western art form has its roots in the traditions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as vaudeville, burlesque, and British music hall. The first documented use of "stand-up" as a term was in The Stage in 1911, detailing a woman named Nellie Perrier delivering "'stand up' comic ditties in a chic and charming manner", though this was used to describe a performance of comedy songs rather than stand-up comedy in its true modern form.

In an edition of The Yorkshire Evening Post dated 10 November 1917, the "Stage Gossip" column described the career of a comedian named Finlay Dunn; the article stated that Dunn was "what he calls 'a stand-up comedian'" during the latter part of the 19th century, although the term may have been used retrospectively.^[1]

Stand-up has multiple genres and styles with their own formats, rules, and target audience. The most common ones include:

• Alternative: Intended to counter the established figures of mainstream comedy.
  • DIY: A "new alternative" to alternative comedy.^[2]
• Character: Derived from a persona invented by a performer.
• Insult or roasting: Consists of offensive insults directed at the audience or other performers.
• Musical: Derived from music either with or without lyrics.
• Observational: Derived from the perceived absurdity of everyday life.^[3]
• Satire: Ridicules political figures, the establishment, or forms of ideology.
• Surreal: Uses bizarre juxtapositions, absurd situations, and nonsense logic.

Opener, feature, and headlinerEdit

The host (also called the compere or MC/emcee/master of ceremonies) "warms up" the audience, makes announcements, and introduces the other performers. This is followed by the opener, the feature, and then the headliner. The host may also double as an opener for smaller shows.^[4] Proven comics can get regular bookings for club chains and comedy venues. Jobbing stand-ups may perform sets at two or more venues in the same day.

Open micEdit

Club and small venues often run open mic events; these slots may be booked in advance or left for walk-ins. Comedians use open mics to work on material or to show off their skills to get an opener slot.^[5] "Bringer shows" are open mics that require amateur performers to bring a specified number of paying guests with them in order to receive stage time. These shows are seen as exploitative.^{[by whom?]}

FestivalsEdit

As well as being a mainstay of the comedy circuit, festivals often also showcase up and coming acts, with promoters and agents using the festivals to seek out new talent.^[6]

SpecialsEdit

Experienced comics with a popular following may produce a special. This is usually between 1–2 hours long and recorded while the comedian is on tour or for one night only, with the latter usually being advertised as a show taking place specifically for the purpose of filming the special. It may be released as a comedy album or through video, such as through television and streaming services.^[7]

RoutineEdit

A stand-up defines their craft through the development of the routine. They design their sets through the construction and revision of jokes and "bits" (jokes that are linked together). The routine emerges from the arrangement of bits to build an interlinked, overarching theme leading to the closer (a final joke intended to gain the biggest reaction).

Most jokes are the juxtaposition of two incongruous things and are made up of the premise, set-up, and punchline, often adding a twist, topper, or tagline for an intensified or extra laugh. Delivery relies on the use of intonation, inflection, attitude, and timing or other stylistic devices such as the rule of three, idioms, archetypes, or wordplay.^[8][9] Another popular joke structure is the paraprosdokian, a surprising punchline that changes the context or meaning of the setup.^[10]

In order to gain the ability to falsely frame their stories as true, or to free themselves of responsibility for breaking social conventions, comedians may use the jester's privilege—the ability and right to discuss and mock anything freely without being punished.^[11][12] The phrases "punching up" and "punching down" describe who should be the "butt of the joke". These carry the assumption that, relative to the comedian's own socio-political identity, comedy should "punch up" at the rich and powerful without "punching down" at those who are marginalized and less fortunate.^[13][14]

Joke theftEdit

Appropriation and plagiarism are considered "social crimes" by most stand-ups. There have been several high-profile accusations of joke theft, some ending in lawsuits for copyright infringement. Those accused will sometimes claim cryptomnesia or parallel thinking,^[15][16] but it is difficult to successfully sue for joke theft regardless due to the idea–expression distinction.^[17]

According to Anna Spagnolli, stand-up comedy audiences "are both 'co-constructors of the situation' and 'co-responsible for it'".^[18] Audiences enter into an unspoken contract with the comedian in which they temporarily disregard normal social rules and allow the discussion of unexpected, controversial, or scandalous subjects. Their ability to understand the premise and appreciate it determines whether a joke produces a laugh or disapproval.

Stand-up comedy differs from most other performing arts in specific ways: the comedian is usually the only thing onstage, they address the audience directly, and the material should be perceived as a spontaneous conversation regardless of whether it is pre-written or genuinely improvised. In addition, the comedian only fully succeeds if they correctly balance these points while discouraging heckling and creating a sense of intimacy.

One part of the appeal for an audience is in the appreciation of the skill of the comedian's performance, because most people find the idea of standing on stage extremely daunting; research conducted by multiple institutions over the years has consistently found that the fear of speaking in public is more common than the fear of dying.^[19][20][21] Jerry Seinfeld referenced this statistic in a joke: "According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. [...] This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy."^[22]

The audience is integral to the experience of live comedy, both as a foil to the comedian and as a contributing factor to the overall quality of the experience. The use of canned laughter in television comedy reveals this, with shows often seeming "dry" or dull without it, and the show may be filmed in front of a live audience for the same reason.^[23]

Bombing: Failing to get laughs.

Callback: A reference to a joke earlier in the set.

Chewing the scenery: Being overly theatrical or "trying too hard" to get a laugh, especially when failing.

Chi-chi room: The ritzy room of a nightclub or a comedy club with niche performances.^[24]

Clapter: When the audience cheers or applauds an opinion that they agree with, but which is not funny enough for them to laugh at. Coined by Seth Meyers.^[25]

Corpsing or breaking: When the comedian laughs unintentionally during a portion of the show in which they are supposed to keep a straight face.

Crowd work: Talking directly with audience members through prewritten bits, improvisation, or both.

Hack: A clichéd or unskilled comic.

Killing and dying: When a stand-up does well, they are killing; if they are doing poorly, they are dying.

Mugging: Pulling silly faces to get a cheap laugh.

Punter: A member of the audience. Primarily a British term.^[26]

The room: The space where the performance takes place. Stand-ups can "read the room" to interpret signs from the audience or "work the room" by interacting with the audience directly.

Smelling the road: Claiming that one can "smell the road" on a comedian suggests they have compromised their originality or pandered to get laughs while touring.^{[citation needed]}

Tight five: A five-minute routine that is well-rehearsed and consists of a comedian's best material that reliably gets laughs. It is often used for auditions and is a stepping stone to getting a paid spot.^[27]

Warm up: To warm up a "cold" audience during the opening act before the main show. Often used at the filming of television comedies in front of studio audiences.

Phyllis Diller holds the Guinness World Record for most laughs per minute, with 12.^[28]

Taylor Goodwin holds the Guinness World Record for most jokes told in an hour, with 550.^[29]

Lee Evans sold £7 million worth of tickets for his 2011 tour in a single day, setting the record for the biggest first-day sale of a British comedy tour in history.^[30]

• Macchietta, 19th-century Italian comedy
• Manzai, Japanese double act comedy
• Owarai, Japanese stand-up comedy^[31]
• The Clown's Prayer, a poem or prayer that comedians use for inspiration
• Xiangsheng, Chinese stand-up comedy