Hailed the greatest comedian of all time, Sir Billy Connolly has topped numerous comedy polls for his legendary standup. Now, for the first time ever, he’s offering viewers a backstage glimpse into what it takes to keep an audience laughing for well over 50 years. Insights and callbacks from across Billy’s sweeping comedy career are showcased with lessons dedicated to Preparing and Going on Stage, Audiences, Developing Material, Life on the Road, and the all-important Getting a Break.
“There's a great starvation for original comedy. You mustn't look at the field and say, "I'll never make it. There's all those guys doing it before me." Good material gets done; good performers get booked. People can't wait to book original people. And you'll find that as you go through your career, original people pass you until you become original yourself.”
The BBC Maestro platform features a series of extended, in-depth lessons filmed in 4K with an eclectic mix of prestigious experts, and allows participants to indulge in new areas of learning from the comfort of their own home. The commercial online education platform developed and operated by Maestro Media Ltd offers individual courses which can be purchased for £80 at bbcmaestro.com.
Billy Connolly’s BBC Maestro course offers aspiring comedians and Billy fans the chance to gain unique insights from a BAFTA Fellowship recipient: from guidance on facing those first line fears to hard-won advice on how to best handle unwanted hecklers. “I used to have lines that dealt with them, but you get bored with the same old line, and so do your audience. If they've seen you before and they hear you doing these old tired lines, they don't like it so much. You have to deal with it as it comes. It's hard, but you begin to look forward to it.” Throughout his course, Billy shares highlights from across his extensive career, pinpointing key jokes and practical decisions that helped to establish him as a giant in the world of standup.
“I wouldn't advise people to watch themself on video. Because you look like a twerp. If you're looking at yourself, you're looking the wrong way. It's the same as practising in a mirror. When you practise in a mirror, you're looking the wrong way. You shouldn’t be looking at yourself, you should be looking at your audience.”
Comedy is a celebration of the power of laughter for the audience and comedian alike. Billy’s BBC Maestro course features guidance on how to read and respond to different audiences, tips on juggling – and improving – anecdotes between tellings, and the invaluable reassurance that even The Big Yin had ‘off’ nights. “I've died a death many times, especially at the beginning of my career. The good thing is you get the bad bit first, then the good bit. You'll die the death a lot in the beginning of your career, and then as you get better that becomes less and less until you don't even think about it.” Sir Billy Connolly has won numerous awards, was knighted for Services to Entertainment and Charity in 2017, and was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship in 2022.
The latest addition to BBC Maestro's selection of world-class courses, Comedy is the ideal supplement to any comedian’s toolkit. Billy’s course consists of 19 lessons and is designed for viewers to learn at their own pace. Lessons are accompanied by extensive course notes filled with breakdowns of moments from Billy’s career as well as practical exercises to help develop existing material, sharpen comedic timing and nail delivery.
“Go up on stage and do your best. And remember that you have the best job in the world. You make people happy for a living, nobody can say that. It's just a joy. It's a blessing. You've got the tools on you to make people happy – happier than when they came in. It's a great thing. Remember that, instead of your wee notes.”
The full trailer for Billy’s new BBC Maestro course on Comedy can be found here.
Billy Connolly picture: Gareth Iwan Jones
