We at Girls KillingIt caught up with Britsh comedian Ms Ava Vidal over the weekend and she had some great insights to share with us in her life as a standup comedian.
How did you get involved in standup comedy ?
I originally wanted to be a writer but that was a very closed industry. I kept trying to present ideas but was told that I had no media background. So I started putting ideas in stand up form as it was easy to get instant feedback.
What was your first big break in the industry ?
I was chosen to participate in a reality show (kind of Big Brother for comedians) that was on national television about 18 months into my career.
What bugs you the most backstage about Standup Comedy ?
Comedians practising their material on you and trying to pretend they are having a normal conversation as though you are stupid. This is mostly a thing that male comedians do.
What do you joke about in your sets ?
About my life and life in general
What is the biggest challenge you have faced / or face as a female stand up comedian ?
There is a saying that men have three minutes to prove they are not funny. Women have one minute to prove that they are. That is very true.
Being a woman do you find you are restricted in what you can and cannot say in your comedy sets ?
No there is nothing I feel I cannot say. There are things that people will not accept from a woman but that is their own misogyny and I have no time for that.
What do you love most about being a comedian ?
The travel and the late starts.
What nuggets of wisdom would you give someone/ a woman wanting to go into standup comedy ?
Work out exactly what you want from this. I would say 'get a proper job and a therapist' and it may work out better. But no one could stop me from doing it. So decide exactly what you want from your career and how to achieve it. Make a plan.
I originally wanted to be a writer but that was a very closed industry. I kept trying to present ideas but was told that I had no media background. So I started putting ideas in stand up form as it was easy to get instant feedback.
What was your first big break in the industry ?
I was chosen to participate in a reality show (kind of Big Brother for comedians) that was on national television about 18 months into my career.
What bugs you the most backstage about Standup Comedy ?
Comedians practising their material on you and trying to pretend they are having a normal conversation as though you are stupid. This is mostly a thing that male comedians do.
What do you joke about in your sets ?
About my life and life in general
What is the biggest challenge you have faced / or face as a female stand up comedian ?
There is a saying that men have three minutes to prove they are not funny. Women have one minute to prove that they are. That is very true.
Being a woman do you find you are restricted in what you can and cannot say in your comedy sets ?
No there is nothing I feel I cannot say. There are things that people will not accept from a woman but that is their own misogyny and I have no time for that.
What do you love most about being a comedian ?
The travel and the late starts.
What nuggets of wisdom would you give someone/ a woman wanting to go into standup comedy ?
Work out exactly what you want from this. I would say 'get a proper job and a therapist' and it may work out better. But no one could stop me from doing it. So decide exactly what you want from your career and how to achieve it. Make a plan.