Can Anyone Do Funny?

It’s a great question,  and one I’m often asked.

When I ran comedy workshops, I only met one person who was adamant they couldn’t do funny. He told me, “My wife sent me here because she says I need a sense of humour so we can watch Fawlty Towers together.” In truth, he was actually very funny – even if he didn’t always realise it.

So, can anyone really do funny?

In a recent Stage article, Sheila Hancock reflected on this after seeing her favourite ever play, Not Now, Darling, back in the late 60s. Watching Bernard Cribbins and Donald Sinden in the leads, she realised her own comedic gift had been undervalued, especially by herself. As she said, there are many great actors who can do comedy, but only a few who are truly great at it. She understood that having “funny bones” was a gift and one to be respected.

The same applies to speaking. Most people can add humour to a talk — all you really need is a sense of humour, and almost everyone has one. But being great at being funny? That’s rare. There are only a handful of speakers who consistently land laughs. The late great Sir Ken Robinson was one. Mark Stevenson and Jamil Qureshi and others. Annoyingly brilliant – two of the most booked speakers on the planet, and both funny and wise. Some people really are too talented.

So, where does that leave the rest of us?

Most of us can do funny – we just need to unlock it.

1) Start with your stories. Write down ten funny tales you love telling your friends, then look for ways to link them to your message. You will find two or three at least that will almost certainly link well.

Watch Sir Ken Robinson’s famous TED Talk on creativity, and note how the first three minutes are full of funny stories that seem unrelated, yet perfectly lead into his theme.

2) Next, borrow from others. Use funny quotes, images, or clips. In a 20-minute talk, three good laughs is a great start. Then start building your confidence from here.

3) Finally, record yourself. Listen for those moments that earn chuckles. Those are authentic – your personal funny bones at work. Reuse them. Over time, you’ll find the laughs multiply.

So yes, anyone can do funny — and you should. Try adding a little humour to your next talk and watch your audience light up.