To master stand-up comedy, one not only requires years of hard work and dedication but also requires determination and confidence on stage no matter how many times you fail. With aspiring comedians looking to establish a place for themselves through diverse styles of comedy, crowd work comedy is a new form of comedy that has gained popularity over the years.

To help the aspirants, here are 5 tips to ace crowd work format of comedy.

Go with an open mind

The crowd work stand-up comic performs unscripted and spontaneous versions of discussions with the audience during crowd work shows. One should approach the situation with an open mind, without having any questions prepared, to be themselves, and most importantly, with self-assurance and trust.

Before the show, get a good night's sleep

You'll perform at your best if you slept well before your performance. This will enable you to approach the stage with an open mind and perform at your peak.

Watch Todd Barry

One of the best crowd work comedian. Barry embarked on a tour without the hilarious jokes and performed complete shows joking with the crowd. On this tour, Barry didn't have a performance prepared; instead, he just made jokes with concertgoers.

Be a good listener

This isa crucial part when working with crowds. The more you pay attention at the beginning of discussions, the better the payoff will be in the long run. Because there are so many refer backs you can refer to. Everyone loves when you bring back things that they have forgotten but you remember.

Have rules for yourself

Be spontaneous when you perform but also pre-set rules for yourself as to what to speak and what not to speak. There will be instances when you'll speak on the spur of the moment, and occasionally you might say things that you might not support or that are not incorrect, but it doesn't mean you support it—people might think you do.

Collated by Verus Ferreira