Friday, 1 July 2011

Funny Skit Ideas

A skit is a dramatic work, not extending more than 5 to 6 minutes. It is usually performed by only 2 to 3 characters, as more characters will require more time to be established, though there can be more if the need arises. The number of situations also has to be limited. Presented here, are some funny skit ideas that will have to be developed by you considering your audience.

Performing comedy can be very difficult, and I say this based on my personal experience. You never know at what point the audience will laugh and where they will continue to wait for the punch line. Also, it's a skit, so you have to get to the punch line quickly. The setting, the characters, the situation, everything has to be conveyed in a short duration of time. Sounds tough? It is not, if you keep one thing in mind while writing and practicing the skit, that is to see it as the audience would see it. If you have time, try video-recording the performance and you'll be able to experience what the audience is about to experience. Before writing the script, get into the mood by watching some cartoons or series like Mr. Bean or read some funny quotes and sayings. This will also give you some inspiration and situations to build upon. If you are looking for funny skit ideas for school, this exercise will work really well for you. If funny skit ideas for talent show is what you are digging, try checking out some stand up comedy videos. Doing this will also give you an idea about performing on stage.

Short Funny Skit Ideas

I have tried to list some of the tried and tested skit ideas that you can mold according to your audience and liking. Note that these are merely ideas. The characters and situations will have to be framed by you, which will not be a very difficult task as I will explain that also, but in brief.

The Alphabetical
This one is fun to watch and perform. You don't need a script or dialogs here. Just take a situation, and each character can play himself. Suppose there are three characters X, Y and Z. X will say something, related to the situation, but his sentence should start with the alphabet A. Now Y will say something, again, related to the situation, starting his sentence with B and so on. Many short funny skit ideas can be developed from this one.

Stranded
This idea can develop many situations. It can make many funny skit ideas for two people. Take a situation, where two people are stranded at an airport or bus stop. The characters can be whoever you want. Having characters of opposite natures, asking each other some silly questions can be fun. The way in which these characters interact will make up the skit.

Bad Luck Day
This one can be wrapped up in a few minutes or can be made into a three hour play. I have seen a play, whose lead character was a very unlucky guy. Moreover, his bad luck was infectious. Things going-wrong can be a great theme for any comic performance. Watch any of the Charlie Chaplin movies to get some ideas. Funny skit ideas for kids can be based on this one.

Sarcasm on the Current Political Situation
This is another amazing way of getting laughs, as people can relate to it. You can have a situation where a political leader is delivering a speech that goes wrong or gets exchanged.

Make a Spoof
Take a popular movie, mythological situation, TV show, etc., and spoof it! A spoof is a comic version of something. This one is pretty easy to sketch, practice and perform. As all you have to do is lift things from the original. Your creativity lies in the way you twist the original script to make it funny. You can make use of some the famous funny movie quotes too.

The First Word that Comes to Your Mind
It can be anything. Bike, burger, cellphone, dog, anything. Put that into the first situation that comes to your mind. This random theory works. Try putting dog into the situation - award function. This will surely give you some short funny skit ideas.

Behind the Scenes or Bloopers
Just show them what fun you had while making the skit. This idea can yield lots of short funny skit ideas. The auditions, clash of opinions, messing up dialogs, repeated mistakes, etc. It can be a lot of fun to practice and there will be hardly any stage fright.

To sum it up, whichever of the funny skit ideas you choose to implement, try to keep it sensible. Also, write with your audience in mind. Remember, writing and performing comedy is a serious business, so take it seriously.

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