Case studies - Hannah George

Stand Up Comedian Hannah George is 20 years old and is currently studying at Southampton Solent University. Last year she won The Paramount Comedy Student Comedian of the Year Award. See Hannah’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/hannahgeorgeuk.

Can you tell me a little bit about how you got into comedy?
I've always loved comedy. As a kid when the other kids were playing at the park I'd be at home watching comedy. That’s mainly because I didn't get invited to the park . My favourite shows at the time were The Fast Show, Father Ted, Harry Hill, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air & The Simpsons. I'd also spend hours watching Dad's Army with my Granddad.

When did you first start writing comedy?
I started taking it more seriously when I got to university as my degree is in Comedy Writing (which is pretty much the higher education equivalent of running away with the circus).

The first joke I ever wrote was when I was 8, it goes as follows:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Chicken.
Chicken Who?
I don't have a surname, I'm a chicken.

Do you think men and women Stand Ups face the same types of difficulties?
As a female comedian I'm constantly asked about whether I think it's tougher for females on the circuit and it's difficult to say as I don't define myself as a "female comedian", I'm just a comedian.

I imagine it's pretty nerve-wracking doing Stand Up? How do you prepare? Do you stick to a script or ad-lib?
I'm pretty meticulous when it comes to my set. I wish I wasn't really as when a comedian can do ad-libbed stuff it really gives their performance something special. As I become more experienced I find myself ad-libbing a bit more and I hope this continues! As a lot of my set revolves around jokes using word-play I do have to be very precise as getting two words in the wrong order can completely ruin a joke!

What’s the best and worst thing about trying to 'make it' as a comedian?
The best thing is how amazing it feels when you storm a gig. I just can't describe it. Also you meet some fantastic people whilst doing stand up. And the worst thing is the ridiculous amounts of travel and just how much the whole damn thing costs when you're just starting out! I went all the way to Glasgow from Southampton for a gig last weekend....that's a LONG way!

Did you know you wanted to do comedy when you were at school? Were you the 'funny kid' who entertained everyone?
At school I really got into comedy in sixth form when me and my best friend Skimp put on an x-rated version of the Nativity at Christmas one year. That was so much fun. In my gap year when I started earning money I went to see so many comedians and so much comedy. Was I the funny kid? I don't know…

What was the most valuable lesson you learnt from your school days?
What I learnt from school is that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. If you don't put any effort it then it's not going to be that much fun.

How do you think a young person can turn their talent into their job?
Depends what their talent is I suppose. I'd say by getting out there and doing whatever it is you do as much as possible. Working hard at it and not giving up. It's a bit of a cliché but it's so easy to just give up. Like with comedy, if you do a bad gig you think that you'll never be funny again. It's quite disheartening to have travelled for four hours, turned up at a gig, played to a room of four people who hate you and had to have paid £25 in travel costs for the privilege. However if this still doesn't put you off then you've got a better chance of making it!

What advice would you give a young person wanting to go into comedy professionally?
Ooooh, I don't know. I don't even know if what I'm doing is the right thing to do. I’m gigging constantly and getting involved with as much stuff as I can. Although stand up competitions can be horrible, they can also be really good for your career, particularly if you win. I won the Paramount Comedy Student Comedian of the Year 2007 competition on my 12th gig which was fantastic in terms of getting more gigs! I was also in the semi-finals of Funny Women and So You Think You're Funny in my first year of stand up, being able to tell a promoter this is useful for getting bookings! Also I'd certainly say that if you want to go into comedy in a different area - (like writing, acting, producing etc) then go into stand up first. You'll be able to try out your material and meet lots of comedy-folk. Also set up your own gig.

Why do you think it’s important to support young people's talents?
Because if we don't we may never find the next John Lennon or Bill Hicks.

Who in your life has helped you to Shine? Who inspires you?
Loads of people inspire me, everyone is inspirational in someway. Particularly my Dad though, he makes me laugh more than anyone. He's an idiot.

What other talents do you have?
I’m an Isle of Wight Chess, Public Speaking and Badminton Champion. Maybe that explains why I didn't have any friends…

How do you think schools can help young people to develop their ideas and have the confidence to take them forward?
Encouragement is really important. But not too much encouragement, the last thing you want is your teachers turning into pushy parents.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
Alive : )