Beginner MC Workshop with Ollie Horn
Date, Time, Price
Thursday, Jan. 2 from 15h-19h
€5 in advance to secure your spot, €30 cash to be paid to Ollie day of
About the workshop
The first two hours of the workshop will be be going through what a successful gig looks like from start to finish, looking at all of the elements that can make a great gig, from practical production elements, to engaging successfully with the audience, to what to do if a problem arrises on the night.
The final part of the workshop will be split into a short session about what makes good crowd work, followed by a Q&A.
The workshop will cover:
🎤 The role of an MC
What an MC in a comedy club actually does, and how professional MCs adapt their approach depending on the club they’re playing
🔊 Technical and production hacks
Your job is easier if the room is set up for success. We’ll look at how staging, lighting, sound and seating all play a role in the success of your performance.
⏰ The tricky first 30 seconds
How to start a night, how to introduce yourself, and how to get the room to trust you as soon as you walk on stage.
✍️ Using your material
The hallmark of a hopeless MC is somebody who stubbornly runs their material in between acts. But great MCs are able to skilfully use pre-prepared lines and bits to their advantage.
😳 Disaster mitigation
Things go wrong, and we’ll look at how you can prepare for this, and what to do when a problem arises.
🙋♂️ Hecklers
Hecklers are rare, but they are a part of live comedy. We’ll look at the different types of hecklers, and tried and tested approaches to deal with them in a way that actually benefits your act.
🤣 Crowd work
When to launch into the crowd, and how to treat your interaction with the audience as an end in itself rather than a means to an end.
About Ollie Horn
Ollie has been a stand-up for over ten years, and the majority of his circuit work is as an MC, for clubs like Top Secret Comedy Club, Komedia, Just The Tonic and more. He also works as a corporate MC and event host, working for brands like Snapchat, National Geographic, and Techstars.
From Ollie: “I am a reluctant comedy teacher (I sincerely believe most courses on the market are scams), but I get a huge amount of satisfaction from leading these workshops.”
Check out examples of his crowd work on his Instagram: @olliehorncomedy
Is this for you?
The person who will get the most value from this workshop is somebody who has been doing comedy for a few years, and cares deeply about the craft, but hasn’t yet spent any amount of time thinking about how they can leverage these skills as an MC. This is designed for people who are beginner MCs with less than three years of experience, but is not designed for complete beginners. You must have done stand-up comedy for at least six months to get any benefit from the workshop.
Feedback from Participants:
“Amazing experience. Ollie’s workshop was really interesting and useful in building my confidence on stage as a presenter. Fun and clear, dynamic and with practical examples. Highly recommended!” — Wendy
“I left the workshop feeling funnier and more confident. I’ve seen Ollie MC before, and it’s obvious that he’s the real deal. He’s sharp, present, and really quick on his feet. He explains the techniques he uses to keep control of a crowd, and put them at ease, and shared some common pitfalls that we might make.” — Michelle
Select your ticket quantity and click “GET TICKETS” to secure your spot:
Date, Time, Price
Thursday, Jan. 2 from 15h-19h
€5 in advance to secure your spot, €30 cash to be paid to Ollie day of
About the workshop
The first two hours of the workshop will be be going through what a successful gig looks like from start to finish, looking at all of the elements that can make a great gig, from practical production elements, to engaging successfully with the audience, to what to do if a problem arrises on the night.
The final part of the workshop will be split into a short session about what makes good crowd work, followed by a Q&A.
The workshop will cover:
🎤 The role of an MC
What an MC in a comedy club actually does, and how professional MCs adapt their approach depending on the club they’re playing
🔊 Technical and production hacks
Your job is easier if the room is set up for success. We’ll look at how staging, lighting, sound and seating all play a role in the success of your performance.
⏰ The tricky first 30 seconds
How to start a night, how to introduce yourself, and how to get the room to trust you as soon as you walk on stage.
✍️ Using your material
The hallmark of a hopeless MC is somebody who stubbornly runs their material in between acts. But great MCs are able to skilfully use pre-prepared lines and bits to their advantage.
😳 Disaster mitigation
Things go wrong, and we’ll look at how you can prepare for this, and what to do when a problem arises.
🙋♂️ Hecklers
Hecklers are rare, but they are a part of live comedy. We’ll look at the different types of hecklers, and tried and tested approaches to deal with them in a way that actually benefits your act.
🤣 Crowd work
When to launch into the crowd, and how to treat your interaction with the audience as an end in itself rather than a means to an end.
About Ollie Horn
Ollie has been a stand-up for over ten years, and the majority of his circuit work is as an MC, for clubs like Top Secret Comedy Club, Komedia, Just The Tonic and more. He also works as a corporate MC and event host, working for brands like Snapchat, National Geographic, and Techstars.
From Ollie: “I am a reluctant comedy teacher (I sincerely believe most courses on the market are scams), but I get a huge amount of satisfaction from leading these workshops.”
Check out examples of his crowd work on his Instagram: @olliehorncomedy
Is this for you?
The person who will get the most value from this workshop is somebody who has been doing comedy for a few years, and cares deeply about the craft, but hasn’t yet spent any amount of time thinking about how they can leverage these skills as an MC. This is designed for people who are beginner MCs with less than three years of experience, but is not designed for complete beginners. You must have done stand-up comedy for at least six months to get any benefit from the workshop.
Feedback from Participants:
“Amazing experience. Ollie’s workshop was really interesting and useful in building my confidence on stage as a presenter. Fun and clear, dynamic and with practical examples. Highly recommended!” — Wendy
“I left the workshop feeling funnier and more confident. I’ve seen Ollie MC before, and it’s obvious that he’s the real deal. He’s sharp, present, and really quick on his feet. He explains the techniques he uses to keep control of a crowd, and put them at ease, and shared some common pitfalls that we might make.” — Michelle