Try free for 30 days

  • Mastering Stand-Up

  • The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian
  • By: Stephen Rosenfield
  • Narrated by: Stephen Rosenfield
  • Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Mastering Stand-Up cover art

Mastering Stand-Up

By: Stephen Rosenfield
Narrated by: Stephen Rosenfield
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $24.37

Buy Now for $24.37

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

This entertaining and sharply written guide - for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers - examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C. K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up.  

Here, Stephen Rosenfield lays out a clear plan for achieving success, candidly explaining what works, what doesn't, and why. Including a 12-item "Successful Comedian's To-Do List," Rosenfield states, "Get undeniably good at each of these and you can kiss your day job good-bye. You will be a pro."

©2018 Stephen Rosenfield (P)2019 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"An absolutely essential instructional guide and reference for anyone aspiring to a career as a comedian." (Midwest Book Review)

What listeners say about Mastering Stand-Up

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exactly what I was looking for!

This book was incredibly well written. This book will give you a perfect balance of the technical skills with real bits from real comedians both old and current. The performance by Stephen was not as charismatic as some of the voice actors I've heard in the past, although, I'm glad the author nerated the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Stand Up Bible

Being new to stand up as a performer I thought this book did a great job focusing on the key things someone like me need to focus on to be a good stand up. This book doesn’t make empty promises eg. “read this and you’ll instantly become a good comic”. What it gives are tried and true advice, with the emphasis on “if you do the work, the results will come”. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone working on being the best comic they can be.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspirational

This is such an amazing book with great insights to the comedy world. The comedy stories told are broken down and explained in depth to help you understand how a joke is written.
It’s a no BS guide to start you on your comedy journey.

Thank you Stephen Rosenfield for persevering with writing this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

this guy is painful

the actual content is interesting and probably useful but this guys uses example after example and manages to make them all sound absolutely terrible.

if you want an example of how not to deliver a line this is the perfect example. he has no concept of timing, he emphasises the wrong parts and the only time he delivers any word with feeling is when he's swearing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Filfthy language. I want my money back.

Foul Mouth man. Not recommended listening. I do hope he can change his ways in the future.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.