Comedy

With the right preparation, and consideration of your audience, comedy can have a lasting impact in transferring knowledge and engaging people in your work. The key to success is in the preparation of your material.

Identify your key messages (see So What? Summary)
Identify your audience and the location in which your set will take place (you will need to adjust your material dependent on the age, interests and prior experience of your audience, and any considerations about your venue)
Write your script, avoid using complex or complicated terms and incorporate anecdote and experience to bring work to life
Practice, practice and practice (including in front of an audience)
Give it a go, what’s the worse that could happen?

Check out Bright Club and Festival of the Spoken Nerd for more information on the format.

Barriers

Using comedy could trivialise your research messages (but this risk needs offsetting against a wider group and number of people engaging).

Takes time and skill to develop confidence and write your act.

Niche skill, unlikely to be suitable for wide replication and use.

Enablers

Can be a good way to address a large number of people in a memorable way.

The condensing process of writing a script can help you to identify what is really important about your work and why.

Can be recorded and shared online afterwards.

Novel method that is likely to engage new audiences with your work.

Required Skills, Competencies or Resources

Comedy night, festival or other opportunity to perform

Time to write and practice your act

Nerves of steel and confidence

What to Measure?

Request to return or repeat show elsewhere

Identification of new audiences or stakeholders for research

Amount of laughter

Comedy

Barriers

Enablers

Required Skills, Competencies or Resources

What to Measure?

Can be integrated at the following stages of the research process: