Ricky Gervais is one of the most popular comedians and actors working today. He first gained fame as the co-creator and star of the hit BBC sitcom The Office. Since then, he has gone on to have a very successful stand-up comedy career, host major awards shows like the Golden Globes, create and star in shows like Extras and After Life, and appear in films like Ghost Town and the Night at the Museum series.
One thing Gervais is known for is his biting, controversial brand of humor. He regularly pushes boundaries with his jokes and has gotten into trouble multiple times for things he’s said at awards shows and in his stand-up acts. This has led some to wonder – does Gervais actually prepare for his controversial comedy sets? Does he have some kind of warm up or practice routine before he goes on stage or appears at events where he might say something shocking?
Does He Rehearse Stand-Up Sets?
When it comes to his stand-up comedy tours, the answer seems to be no, Gervais does not do extensive rehearsals. He has stated multiple times in interviews that he does not rehearse for his tours. Here is what Gervais has said about his stand-up preparation process:
– “I don’t rehearse for tours. I just walk out and start talking.” (The Mirror)
– “I don’t rehearse – I just turn up and talk nonsense.” (Chortle)
– “I don’t rehearse for stand-up tours at all.” (Radio Times)
Gervais explains that he does not feel rehearsals are needed for his stand-up because it has a different, looser format compared to something like a scripted sitcom. Stand-up allows him to improvise, try out new material, and connect with the audience in the moment.
So while he might brainstorm topics and make notes for his stand-up shows, he does not rehearse entire sets word-for-word like some comedians do. For Gervais, live stand-up is meant to feel off-the-cuff and spontaneous.
What is His Writing and Prep Process?
Even though he does not rehearse entire comedy sets, Gervais does spend a lot of time preparing in other ways:
– He spends years crafting stand-up routines before touring them. He carefully chooses topics, writes jokes and bits, and edits the material down to only the best parts.
– He usually works out his stand-up on smaller tours where he can test jokes and find the right rhythm for a show. The bigger tours come after he has already developed and workshopped the material extensively.
– For things like hosting awards shows, he meets with writers to brainstorm timely jokes and opening monologues. He goes over the content to make sure he is comfortable with it.
– He prepares answers in advance for interview questions he knows he will be asked frequently while promoting a project. This helps him give consistent messaging.
So in other ways, Gervais puts in a lot of preparation. But he does not rehearse entire, finished stand-up sets or award show speeches from start to finish because he prefers to keep some spontaneity.
His Explanation of His Process
In multiple interviews, Gervais has explained that his stand-up act is meant to feel like a conversation versus a prepared, rehearsed routine. Here’s how he has described his creative process:
“I don’t sit there with a pen and paper and scribble down 20 minutes of new material. I chat and talk about things that annoy me, things that fascinate me, strange hypothetical situations.” (Chortle)
“I don’t really write it down, I just make notes and make sure I don’t keep doing the same stuff…. It’s got to look like stream of consciousness, even though it’s carefully planned.” (The Mirror)
“I don’t script too much. It’s got to feel like stream of consciousness.” (The Independent)
Based on Gervais’ own descriptions, he does extensive preparation in terms of writing jokes and bits. But he resists over-rehearsing the final product because he wants his stand-up comedy to feel spontaneous, like it is happening in the moment. He sees stand-up as a conversation with the audience, not a memorized script. So he does not have a specific warm up or rehearsal routine – the show itself is meant to feel like a warm up.
How Other Comedians Approach Rehearsal
While Gervais likes to keep his stand-up loose, other famous comedians take different approaches:
Comedian | Rehearsal Style |
---|---|
Jerry Seinfeld | Rehearses extensively, rewriting jokes and memorizing routines |
Chris Rock | Rehearses by performing new material at small comedy clubs |
Kevin Hart | Rehearses new material at impromptu shows in small venues |
Dave Chappelle | Prefers spontaneous, conversational tone, does not extensively rehearse |
Some comedians, like Seinfeld, are known to rehearse obsessively – memorizing every word and rehearsing each gesture and expression. Other comedians, like Chappelle, prefer a looser approach like Gervais. Most have some combination of writing prepared material while also leaving room for improvisation. But Gervais is notable for not rehearsing entire, ready-to-perform sets.
His Controversial, Unscripted Moments
Gervais is known partly for his controversial, unscripted moments while hosting award shows. Some examples:
– At the 2011 Golden Globes, he made jokes about Scientology and controversial celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Hugh Hefner.
– At the 2020 Golden Globes, he mocked Felicity Huffman over the college admissions scandal and made other controversial jokes about Jeffrey Epstein and Martin Scorsese’s height.
– At the 2011 Emmy Awards, he made biting jokes about reality TV shows.
These unscripted moments get a lot of attention. Gervais explains that he and his writers brainstorm timely, boundary-pushing jokes beforehand. But the teleprompter scrolls too slowly for him, so he ends up riffing off script in the moment. This is when he often gets in the most trouble – but it is also what makes his hosting stint memorable compared to most polished, rehearsed award show hosts.
Conclusion
The evidence shows that Ricky Gervais does minimal rehearsal for his live stand-up comedy tours and award show hosting gigs. While he spends extensive time writing, editing, and workshopping jokes and bits, he resists memorizing and rehearsing entire shows word-for-word because he wants the audience experience to feel spontaneous and conversational. He has explained that over-rehearsing would ruin the authenticity of his performances. Gervais prefers to create the feeling of thinking off the top of his head, even though he has carefully prepared the building blocks of the material in advance. His unscripted, controversial moments at events like the Golden Globes support the idea that he does not have an extensive warm up or rehearsal process before high-profile, high-pressure performances. In the end, Gervais just shows up and starts talking – and that raw, unpredictable approach is key to his comedy.