College: A time of laughter, tears, and everything in between.
“The comedy society is as much about watching comedy as it is performing”
“A lot of good comedians are introverted and it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be good on stage.”
I recently sat down with (i.e., sent a very nicely worded email to) TCD’s Comedy Soc and got the inside scoop on what it takes to be able to withstand the turmoil of college with such comedic brilliance. Their answers are, as expected, filled with wit, satire, and humour – all requirements for a good interview with Trinity News.
Throughout this interview, I was brought face-to-face with the intrinsic and complex atmosphere that follows the Comedy society, as they so dutifully uphold their reputations of serious jokesters and extremely unserious lawyers.
Honey: How does the comedy society go about planning an event? Does it begin with an invitation to perform or is it built from the ground up in the society?
Comedy Soc: The way we plan events typically is we book a venue for around 25 to 40 ish people and then decide if it’s going to be an open mic or what we call a half-and-half. A half-and-half is normally three to four acts in each half, with a blend of students and professional comedians. We are yet to be invited to perform.
Honey: If someone felt they weren’t funny enough to join the Comedy Soc, what would you respond?
Comedy Soc:
“Firstly, the comedy society is as much about watching comedy as it is performing. Secondly, everyone is bad at stuff when they start out”
Most people in the society have done less than 10 shows, if they even want to perform. We just want people to give it a go if they have any inkling of interest at all. We assure you, go to any open mic and be astonished at how low the bar is. We are not talking about Comedy Society open mics of course, where [it is…] both at a professional standard and totally attainable to newcomers. (PLEASE GOD COME TO OUR EVENTS)
Honey: Do you feel there is a good balance between work and play among the committee?
Comedy Soc: We get on well. Our committee is diligent but after all we are all there to have a good time, so fun comes first. Our Chair, who is currently replying to these questions, is terrible at organisation. Our first meeting of the year (last week) really showcased this dynamic.
Honey: Do you have any advice for someone wanting to join the society, but who is nervous about being too introverted?
Comedy Soc:
“A lot of good comedians are introverted and it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be good on stage”
That question gets asked a lot and I feel it has to do with fear of bombing. But that also relies on the misconception that bombing is bad. Bombing is when a gig goes bad and that is more like having tired muscles from a workout. (Not that any of the committee have been to a gym, but we’ve heard stories, it sounds pretty scary, EEK) But introverts can be pretty observant, which helps in looking for material. Really, it doesn’t matter if you are introverted or extroverted. If you put the hours in, you will get funny(ish). Also, you don’t have to do stand-up to be in the society; a lot of people like to watch and that is great for the rest of us who have a crippling need for attention.
Honey: Is it hard to balance college work and being involved in the society?
Comedy Soc: It can be tough, but it’s rewarding. As with any extra-curricular, the more you are involved, the more difficult it becomes to manage your college workload, but we all genuinely enjoy doing it so that’s a price that we are willing to pay. Also we all study business so it’s pretty much no big deal. If we don’t hand in an assignment we just say that we are negotiating with the professor. They get it. (That was a joke. There is one business student, who is made fun of accordingly.)
End of the interview of the century.
If you are looking to get involved with the society or even would like to watch some very mediocre stand-up, there is a society collaboration in the works that will be announced in due time (before 2027). The society does recommend a few places around the city that are good places to catch a glimpse of some live comedy. The list includes, but is not limited to: In Stitches Comedy Club, Hysteria, Punt Comedy, and The Cheeky Monkey.
Comedy Soc would like to note that: “If any of these venues would like to thank us for this shoutout, they can repay us for the meagre price of a paid 10-minute spot.” In my humble opinion, this is a very low price for the amount of good press this groundbreaking article will no doubt generate.
