|
There are literally thousands of ideas for stage hypnosis gags, stunts or whatever you choose to call them, but what makes one gag better than another?
Part of the art and the joy of comedy hypnosis is that there are no hard and fast rules about what works and what does not, so you can read the ideas below as a set of guidelines, and be prepared to put them aside when the occasion demands.
In no particular order, these are the things that make gags works (IMHO)
Variety
I use a mixture of gag “types”. I categorise gags based on how many people perform the gag (the whole group or just one or two), and whether it is up and about or generally seated or stationery. I aim to mix up the types of gags throughout the show.
I also categorise the gags into those that are spoken, and those that are acted. Some fit into both categories.
Spoken gags can be great, but some people are not good speakers, especially when speaking impromptu even when in a trance, not all are unintentionally funny, and some of the good speakers who are funny aren’t good with the mic (which presents an opportunity for more geeky toys, which is no bad thing, a compressor perhaps?).
So when I have good “verbal” candidates I’ll use them to give the show more variety.
Culture
Being aware of the cultural context of your show is important. This sounds complicated, but it really means “know your audience”. Whereas some gags appear to be universally accepted, some will only suit an older audience, some a younger one etc. Knowing that your audience comes from, say, a university background will open different opportunities than an audience that comes from a farming background. There are also national, religious and social groups that should influence your choice of gags.
I was surprised at one show to come across someone who hadn’t heard of Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks. But then Monty Python dates from a while ago and the younger group I had on stage was split into complete Monty Python nuts, and people who had for the most part never seen the show.
This is why I cannot understand why some hypnotists trot out the same show with the same gags time after time and everywhere they go. The shows are much funnier if they are tailored to the audience.
One time I was using a certain piece of music during the induction, when it was pointed out that the same track had been taken on as a theme tune for the Rugby Team in a different town. I was told that a lynching would likely ensue if I used it during their show. Since I don’t follow rugby I was quite oblivious. It’s a pity because it was a great track; though had I used it I would have had problems I am sure. I hope that they were joking about the lynching. . .
Expression
When setting up a gag, the hypnotist has a lot of freedom to invite the candidate to really express themselves. There is a random element in that one never really knows what the candidate will actually do, but by suggesting that they will really get into it, they will typically respond more extrovertedly than otherwise.
The hypnotist can often “pump up” the gag as it proceeds by adding suggestions that they get more animated as time goes on, etc.
Novelty
There are some time honoured hypno gags that are true classics. There is probably not a hypnotist alive who has not had at least one Elvis.
Elvis works because he’s widely known, was very theatrical and watchable in real life, and Elvis impersonation is itself an acceptable and widely practised art form, so people find it easy to do and funny to watch.
But stage hypnosis would be less funny if every show had the same few gags over and over again, regardless of the venue or the hypnotist. So inventing new gags, and new variations on old gags is part of the art of comedy stage hypnosis.
One of our own original gags, The Pink Panther, is now making its way around the world, having been seen last year in Canada and the USA. (Yes, there is a certain amount of copying that goes on, it’s unavoidable and as long as people don’t copy their entire show from us – we don’t much mind).
Coming up with new ideas is easy enough. Friends and colleagues have offered suggestions. And stage hypnotist Jaydee and I have a friendly game where we swap gags and extend them. It was Jaydee who added Inspector Clouseau to my Pink Panther, and now that’s part of the gag when I do it too.
A good source for gags is whatever the current TV garbage is. Survivor, Idol or whatever. You might guess that I am not big on TV, and seldom watch it, but if I become aware of a TV “craze”, I’ll watch it for a bit to come up with a format for a show. That’s how we invented our signature piece “Hypno Idol”.
Wow
There are some amazing things that can be done with hypnosis. Carefully managed, there are physical feats and hypnotic techniques (such as instant hypnosis) that really amaze the audience. Stunned silence is a nice change from belly laughs, and creates even more variety.
Movement and Pandemonium
Getting people moving is great, especially in this visual age. And getting more people moving is often better. Even better is when one gets many people moving and doing different things. Attila calls this “pandemonium”, when the hypnotist lets the volunteers seemingly run amok. It is more difficult to set up, but very, very entertaining.
Building up stacked or multiple gags is hard work, and requires a confident and skilled hypnotist. I have seen shows that are so tightly controlled and managed by the hypnotist that it appears as if they are scared of what might happen if they get several people to do different things. Perhaps they feel like they have to be “in control”. Whereas we like a bit of organised chaos.
Sound
The majority of the western world’s population has a preference for visual sensory input, but there are a significant number for whom auditory input is the preferred medium, and for most, having sound and vision together is great entertainment. Creating gags with good sound, music and spoken content that can be clearly heard by the audience is essential to having a successful night. Mixing these with purely auditory or purely visual gags creates a sense of variety and adds to the fun.
The importance of good clear sound cannot be overstated. I suspect that many a good show has been ruined by poor sound, and by making the audience strain to hear what is going on.
When designing gags, selecting the right accompanying sounds and music is part of the overall effect, and it deserves as much attention as the wording and setup.
Theatre and Drama
Everyone likes a good bit of drama or acting, and making gags more theatrical can take a simple idea (Elvis) into a real stunner. “You’re all Elvis impersonators and you all think you deserve to win the prize . . . . “.
Safety
Keep the gags safe. It’s not worth risking violence or an injury just to make people laugh, because there’s plenty to do that is funny and not dangerous. We seldom get people riled up on stage, because occasionally their “wrath” exceeds our control.
Attila tells an amusing story about hypnotizing someone and telling them that they couldn’t touch him because there was a Star Trek force field protecting him from them. Then he got them really riled. After the volunteer decked him, he asked about the force field and was told by the volunteer that no d**m force field was going to stop someone who was really pissed off. And therein lies the lesson.
Safety is also the reason why we don’t get people to think that they can fly or climb (No spiderman, sorry).
Hypnosis does not overcome gravity.
|
