Joey Rasdien

So, you think you have what it takes to be a stand-up comedian? Are you sure? Do you feel it in your bones?! Right here, right now – in his Playbox. 

He’s your brother from another mother. Your fella from another era. He’s been around the block (and Kentucky street) a few times, and he’s ready to share some of his stage lessons and life lessons with you. Ready, SET…here’s Joey!

Sometimes the only way to get to the heart of a matter is through the belly. Erupting as a big guffaw from the gut, a really good laugh can crack through and illuminate the toughest, most uncomfortable stuff. 

In this episode, Joey teaches the importance of laughter in dealing with dark truths, even trauma — and how it can be a healing salve for you, the comedian, as well as the audience. This stuff is gold, man.

Where to start - and how to know you have what it takes? Joey breaks down the numero uno original asset to being a stand-up comedian. It’s about humour that sits in the marrow of your bones (all your bones, not just the funny ones). 

You’ll learn how to find your funny bones, how to own them - and the brutal honesty required to know whether you have the bones to take those chommie braai brags to professional stage gags. It’s all here, right now.

Comedy is more than being funny and cracking jokes: It’s about sharing knowledge. And with knowledge comes power and with power - comes responsibility. Along with your funny bones, Joey teaches you why empathy is the superpower to trailblazing comedy. 

You’ll discover the art of leaving your ego at the door and walking in another person’s shoes; you’ll learn to tap in, lean in and crack open the jokes that break through all human barriers - respectfully; empathetically, responsibly. This is an episode that matters.

All the world’s a stage and your best material is not only within you but also all around you. Every single day. Where to find it, how to hunt it — whether on the street; on social media and in your social circle; or reading books, books and more books — Joey guides you on how to make life your material and find the fodder needed to inspire and feed your first stand-up set. Watch out for the curve ball in this one.

This is why you came. Armed with ammo, you’re set for preparing your first 5-minute stand-up set and taking your Funny Bones where they were born to belong: on stage. 

How to pull it all together? Which habits to start getting into? How to fine-tune your script — including an opener and closer that the crowd will never forget – all the tricks right here. You got this!

Ah, the punchline: The money shot! The reason comedians do what they do (and get paid to say what they want). What exactly is it? How can you start and craft a punchline so that it …well… punches? And can a punchline be taught?! 

Joey brings you the dos and don’ts and don’t you EVERs of mastering a punchline; he’ll share a few tips and tricks of his own to help you hit the perfect punch that lands smack-bang where you want it.

It’s Showtime! And that ball in your stomach is real. From tone to presence to speed and the secret to delivering jokes on-stage, Joey talks you through the nuances of showing up and standing up, successfully, on stage.

Is this thing on? What’s up with the Mic? Actually, everything. The stage mic can make or break your show – and it has nothing to do with the equipment. 

With practical Mic control tips and gesture measures, Joey helps you avoid tripping up to dead air and missed punchlines (It happens!). You’ll learn the dos and don’ts of the Mic – how to test it and bless it — with style and comedic grace.

Big crowds, intimate crowds, tough crowds. The audience is the flip-side of your Act; the heads to tails of your success. They follow the joke, critique the joke, and hopefully share the joke! Getting to decide where, how and if your jokes will land with an audience that’s come to laugh their heads off, is an important part of the learning. 

Joey talks you through how to read the crowd, how to endear them towards you and what to do to keep your audience as your tango partner in the dance of laughter. And, let’s dance!

The Final Curtain Call (Cue: Cat Call). Growing up, Joey’s mother used to tell him: “No Guts, No Glory.” And while Comedy is full of kicks, tricks and slapsticks, it’s also serious biz: a real-time rodeo that requires you to show up as more than just a joker. 

To become a true comedian means going on a journey that demands you to meet, greet and get up close and personal, mic or no mic, with the truest, you-est you.

Caught off camera – well kind of.