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C rowd work. For some, it’s the fun bit when standups cruise the front row asking: “What do you do for a living?” For me, it’s the scary bit where I avoid eye contact with said standups – because they don’t want to hear, and I don’t want to say, “comedy critic”. That terror aside, crowd work can be comedy gold in the hands of some acts, the most in-the-moment and authentic section of their whole show.

Elsewhere, it’s filler: so much so-so throat-clearing before the good gags, the ones the comic has bothered to write, begin. That is how crowd work has always been considered – until now. In 2024, it’s increasingly the main draw – for which we have social media to thank, or blame.



If you’ve noticed your socials clogged these days with crowd-work clips – this or that standup engaging in oh-so-spontaneous bantz with someone in row C – you’re not alone. And it’s not happening by accident. Clipped-up crowd work is standup for sale to the TikTok generation, a phenomenon changing not only how comics tout their work, but the work itself – and the nature of live comedy.

Behind the trend is the squaring of a circle for acts who must use the internet to promote themselves, but who don’t want to ship all their best jokes for free. Post your finest scripted material online, and the surprise is much diminished when those audiences pitch up at your live show. Post crowd work online, and nothing is given away – save a glimpse of your wit in flight, of .

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