Crowd work is so hit or miss at a comedy show. It can kill the whole vibe of the night when a comedian over relies on it to get through their set.
The whole point is that it’s intentionally uncomfortable for the audience, making everyone squirm that they’ll be singled out and asked to speak up. Sometimes the comedian lands on a dud that won’t offer anything, then gets fixated on trying to get a laugh instead of just moving on. The jabs fall flat and the pace of delivery gets all thrown off.
All things considered, it’s an incredibly awkward part of the comedy show experience.
But when it hits, it hits.
Sometimes it’s so masterfully executed, leaving the room howling.
Trevor Wallace recently nailed it while onstage at The Laugh Factory. Without completely giving away the reveal here, Wallace managed to guess an audience member’s job, down to the exact company that he worked for.
It’s pretty wild. If you’ve never seen Trevor live, go for the crowd work alone.
He’s mastered the craft.
And he’ll perfectly call you out on your own bullsh*t based on your looks alone – a bite of humble pie we all need every now and then.