Was this sample helpful? Rate it!
Average: 4.8 (38 votes)
Contents
Summary
Stand-up comedian with ten years on the UK circuit, headlining clubs and touring a solo show built from years of writing and gigging. Writes and constantly refines his own material, MCs and headlines club nights, and has taken full-hour shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. Built a following through relentless live work, a strong social-media clip presence, and a reputation for reading and winning over a tough room. Also writes for radio and other comics, and runs a monthly new-material night for up-and-coming acts. Quick, observational and disciplined about the craft behind making it look effortless. Looking for touring, writing, TV and festival opportunities with promoters and producers who back distinctive comic voices.
Work Experience
Stand-Up Comedian (Headliner)
UK Comedy Circuit & Solo Tours, Manchester, UK
Apr 2016 – Present
- Headline and MC club nights across the UK circuit, regularly closing rooms of a few hundred people.
- Write and continually refine original material, road-testing jokes nightly to build tight, reliable sets.
- Took full-hour solo shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, handling the writing, performance and self-promotion.
- Grew a social-media following by clipping the strongest live bits, driving ticket sales for tour dates.
- Write for radio panel shows and supply material to other comedians as a paid jobbing writer.
- Run a monthly new-material night, giving up-and-coming acts valuable stage time and honest feedback.
Circuit Comedian & MC
Open Mic & Club Circuit, Manchester, UK
Aug 2013 – Mar 2016
- Gigged relentlessly across open-mic and club nights to build an act and stage time.
- Developed MC skills, learning to read and control a live room.
- Won and placed in new-act competitions, raising his profile on the circuit.
- Honed tight five and ten-minute club sets through constant nightly performance.
- Built the material and reputation that led to paid headline bookings.
Open-Mic Comedian (Part-Time)
Manchester Open Mics, Manchester, UK
Jun 2011 – Jul 2013
- Started out gigging unpaid open-mic spots in the evenings while working a day job.
- Wrote and tested early material in front of tough, small late-night crowds.
- Learned the basics of timing, crowd work and surviving a bad gig.
- Built the first sets and stage time that launched a comedy career.
Education
BA in Drama & Performance, Drama & Performance
Manchester Metropolitan University
Sep 2010 – Jun 2013
- Performance degree covering stagecraft, writing and live performance, while gigging open-mic comedy at night. The student comedy scene launched the stand-up career. Went full-time on the circuit after graduating.
Comedy Writing Short Course, Comedy Writing
Manchester Comedy Workshop
Jan 2014 – Apr 2014
- Short course in joke construction, set structure and writing for radio and TV. It sharpened the writing discipline behind a consistent club set. Fed directly into writing for other comics and radio.
Highlights
Edinburgh Fringe runs
- Wrote and performed full-hour solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, the proving ground for stand-up. Pulling off an hour of original material is a different discipline to club spots.
Built an online following
- Grew a meaningful social-media following by clipping the strongest live moments, which now drives ticket sales for tour dates. Turning live bits into reach is modern circuit survival.
Shows & Projects
Solo Show — 'Northern Exposure'
Apr 2022 – Sep 2022
- Wrote and toured a full-hour solo stand-up show across UK clubs and the Fringe. It pulled the best of several years' material into one structured set. The strongest showcase of the act to date.
Radio panel-show writing
Jan 2021 – Jun 2023
- Wrote jokes and segments for radio panel shows as a paid contributor, sharpening short-form comedy writing and broadening income beyond live gigs.
Recognition
New-act competition wins
UK Comedy Circuit
Jan 2015 – Present
- Won and placed in stand-up new-act competitions on the circuit, raising his profile and helping turn unpaid open-mic spots into paid headline bookings.
A following that sells tickets
Social Media
Jan 2022 – Present
- Built a meaningful social-media following by clipping the strongest live moments, which now drives real ticket sales for his tour dates across the country.
Languages
- English (UK) — Native or Bilingual Proficiency
- Spanish — Limited Working Proficiency
Stage Skills
- Stand-Up Performance
- Comedy Writing
- MC / Compering
- Crowd Work
- Set Structure
- Improvisation
- Writing for Others
- Social-Media Clips
- Show Production
- Self-Promotion
Personal Skills
- Quick Wit
- Resilience
- Stage Presence
- Discipline
- Observation
Activities & Interests
- Traveling
- Dart
- Gambling
- Family
- Web Surfing
What Matters Most
Bookers skim comedy resumes for one thing first: can you hold a room. Here is what actually decides a strong one:
- Lead with credits, not adjectives. Headline slots, festival runs (Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne, Just for Laughs) and named clubs (Comedy Store, Glee, Hot Water) tell a booker your level in one line.
- Name the venues and the room sizes. 'Closed a 300-seat room' means more to a promoter than 'experienced performer' ever will.
- Show you can MC, not just spot. Compering is the skill that gets you rebooked, because a booker needs someone who can run a whole night.
- Reel and following are now credits. Clip views, followers and a linked highlights reel prove you sell tickets, which is what a modern promoter is buying.
- Prove range: club sets, a full Fringe hour, and paid writing all signal you are a working professional, not a hobbyist with ten minutes.
- Keep it one page and skimmable. Bookers read dozens; the act that reads clearest and highest-status gets the reply.
Why This Comedian Resume Works
This is a ten-year UK circuit headliner's resume, and it earns a booker's attention because every choice signals level and reliability rather than describing feelings about comedy.
- The summary leads with tenure and status ('ten years', 'headlining', 'touring a solo show') so a booker places the act instantly, then backs it with proof points a promoter cares about: Fringe hours, a clip following, paid writing.
- The experience is structured as a clear climb, open mic to circuit to headliner, so seniority is legible at a glance instead of buried in dates.
- Bullets name the real work of the job, headlining and MCing, road-testing material nightly, self-promoting a Fringe run, rather than listing vague 'performance skills'.
- It treats the social following as a credit, not a hobby, tying clips directly to ticket sales, which is exactly how a modern promoter judges draw.
- It shows range beyond stand-up, radio panel writing and material for other comics, positioning the act as a working professional with more than one income line.
- The new-material night and MC work signal someone who can run a room and a bill, the traits that turn a one-off booking into a regular.
How to Write a Comedian Resume That Gets Booked
A comedy resume is a booking document, not a job application. Write it so a promoter can size up your level and your draw in fifteen seconds.
Open with your level and your best credits
Your first two lines decide everything. State your act (stand-up, character, improv, MC), your years working, and the two or three credits that prove your level: headline slots at named clubs, festival hours, TV or radio appearances. 'Headliner, five years, Fringe hour 2023, seen at the Comedy Store' does more than a paragraph of description.
List venues and room sizes, not just 'various clubs'
Bookers think in rooms. Name the clubs and nights you have played (Glee, Hot Water, Top Secret, Angel Comedy) and the size of the crowds you close. A concrete '250-seat weekend room' tells a promoter you can handle their Saturday; 'lots of gigs' tells them nothing.
Separate performing, MCing and writing
Break your experience into the distinct hats you wear: headlining and feature spots, compering, and paid writing (radio, other comics, corporate). MC experience especially is worth its own line, because a booker who needs a compere is scanning for exactly that. It also shows you are more than one bookable thing.
Turn your following and reel into hard credits
Modern comedy resumes sell draw. Put your follower counts, best clip views, and a link to a 3-to-5-minute highlights reel near the top, because a promoter is partly buying your ability to sell tickets. Build the whole thing on a clean, link-friendly layout so your reel and socials are one tap away, which you can do fast with a template that keeps your credits and reel link up front.
Close with festivals, competitions and press
Finish with the status markers bookers recognise: Fringe or festival runs, new-act competition wins or finals (So You Think You're Funny, BBC New Comedy Award), and any review pull-quotes or star ratings. One four-star Fringe quote or a named competition final is worth more than a list of open mics.
What to Include in a Comedian Resume
Comedy resumes are credits-led, so the sections differ from a normal CV. Include these, roughly in this order:
A one-line act summary: type of comedy, years working, and your headline-level credits.
Credits / experience split into headline & feature spots, MC / compere work, and writing.
Named venues and clubs, with room sizes where they flatter you.
Festivals and runs: Edinburgh Fringe hours, Melbourne, Just for Laughs, and any tours.
Competitions: wins, finals and placings in recognised new-act contests.
Reel and socials: a linked highlights reel plus follower counts and standout clip views.
Writing credits: radio, TV warm-up, corporate, or material sold to other acts.
Press: review star ratings and short pull-quotes from named outlets.
Contact and representation: your own details, or your agent's if you have one.
Extra tips
Note if you have a corporate-clean set.
Those bookings pay several times a club rate, and bookers filter for comics who work blue-free.
Comedian Resume Summary Examples
Your summary is the top-of-bill line a booker reads first. These three show how to pitch at different levels without echoing the sample on this page:
Entry-level resume summary example
Newer stand-up comedian with two years on the open-mic and new-act circuit, gigging three to four nights a week to build a reliable, road-tested ten-minute set. Comfortable opening cold rooms and doing crowd work when the energy dips, with a growing clip presence that has passed 40,000 views on the strongest bits and is starting to shift a few tickets. Reached the regional finals of a national new-act competition and has begun picking up paid support slots at local clubs off the back of it. Writes and road-tests fresh material every week, keeps honest notes on what lands, and is chasing more stage time, feature spots and competition exposure to sharpen the act toward a confident, bookable twenty minutes.
Mid-level resume summary example
Working circuit comedian and MC with six years of paid club gigs across the country, trusted to feature and to compere weekend rooms of up to 250. Known for tight, punchy sets and confident crowd work that keeps a mixed audience with you through a long bill, even when the room comes in cold or drink-heavy. Built a social following of 25,000 by clipping the best live moments week after week, which now shifts real tickets on support tours and showcase nights. Has a debut half-hour Fringe show under the belt, writes warm-up and topical material on the side, and hosts corporate nights when the money is right. Looking for headline bookings, festival slots and TV showcase opportunities with promoters who back a reliable, hard-working act.
Senior-level resume summary example
Headline stand-up comedian and writer with twelve years on the international circuit, closing 400-seat theatres and touring two full solo hours to critical praise. Four-star Fringe reviews and a Just for Laughs new-faces slot sit alongside a 120,000-strong online following that reliably sells out club dates weeks ahead of the night. Writes for television panel shows and radio, supplies material to other touring acts, and mentors newer comics through a long-running monthly new-material night. Comperes corporate and festival main stages when the money is right, and is trusted to run a three-hour bill without losing the room. Seeking touring, TV and festival opportunities with producers and promoters who invest in a distinctive, road-tested comic voice.
Comedian Work Experience Examples
Frame each credit around the room you held and the proof it left behind. These sets, by level and by lane, show the depth a booker responds to:
Headline / touring stand-up
- Headlined 180-plus club and theatre shows a year across the UK, closing mixed weekend rooms of 200 to 400 with a 25-minute set and holding energy through late, drink-heavy crowds without leaning on old bits.
- Wrote and toured two full-hour solo shows, handling writing, direction and self-promotion, and turning a debut Fringe run into a national tour that sold out 14 of 20 dates on the back of clip-driven demand.
- Grew an online following past 100,000 by clipping the strongest live moments weekly, converting reach into ticket sales that filled club dates four to six weeks ahead of the night.
- Compered dozens of weekend bills for resident clubs each year, running the running order, warming cold rooms and rescuing tough spots between acts so every comic on the night landed better than they would have walking on alone.
- Wrote paid material for two radio panel shows and supplied punch-up and jokes to three other touring acts, adding a reliable second income line and sharpening short-form writing under tight weekly broadcast deadlines.
MC / compere and corporate
- Compered up to five nights a week across club, festival and corporate stages, holding rooms of 100 to 500 between acts and keeping a three-hour bill moving without losing the crowd's attention.
- Hosted branded corporate and awards nights for paying clients, tailoring clean, name-checked material to the room and briefing on-message gags that kept sponsors happy and rebooking each year.
- Handled hecklers and technical stumbles live, ad-libbing through sound failures and late acts so audiences never felt the night wobble, which earned repeat compering bookings from three resident clubs.
- Curated and ran a long-standing monthly new-material night, booking the bills, giving newer acts honest notes and real stage time, and building a trusted room that local promoters now scout when they are hunting for fresh talent.
- Managed set-lists and running orders for mixed bills of six to eight acts, balancing energy across openers, features and headliners so each show built steadily, peaked at the right moment and always closed on a strong note.
Newer act / circuit builder
- Gigged 150-plus open-mic and new-act spots in a year to build stage time, testing fresh material nightly in front of small, tough late crowds and cutting anything that did not earn a laugh twice.
- Reached the regional final of a recognised national new-act competition after months of weekly gigging, using the exposure and the placing to convert unpaid open-mic spots into first paid support bookings at local clubs.
- Developed reliable five and ten-minute club sets through relentless nightly repetition, learning to open cold, read a room fast and cut dead weight rather than depending on a comedian before you warming the crowd up.
- Built an early online presence by clipping standout live bits every week, passing 30,000 views on the best clip and using the reach and momentum to land spots on stronger, better-paid showcase bills across the region.
- Learned MC basics on quieter midweek nights, running short bills, linking acts and handling crowd work under low pressure, so promoters gradually started trusting the act to compere and feature on bigger weekend rooms.
Top Comedian Skills
Bookers and producers scan for the craft that keeps a room with you and the professionalism that gets you rebooked. Weight your resume toward these:
Hard skills
- Stand-Up Performance
- Joke Writing & Set Construction
- MC / Compering
- Crowd Work
- Heckle Handling & Ad-Libbing
- Improvisation
- Callback & Set Structure
- Material Road-Testing
- Storytelling / Long-Form Sets
- Character & Sketch Work
- Writing for Radio & TV
- Writing for Other Comics
- Timing & Delivery
- Set-List & Running-Order Management
- Show Production & Tour Booking
- Social-Media Clip Editing
- Corporate & Warm-Up Hosting
- Self-Promotion & Ticket Selling
Soft skills:
- Resilience
- Quick Wit
- Stage Presence
- Discipline
- Observation
- Adaptability
- Confidence
Common Comedian Resume Mistakes to Avoid
Comedy resumes fail in ways ordinary CVs don't. Watch for these:
- Trying to be funny on the page. A booker judges your act from your reel, not your resume jokes; a 'hilarious' CV reads as trying too hard. Keep the document clear and let the clips do the laughing.
- Listing open mics as if they were credits. Ten unpaid spots do not equal one paid headline slot; lead with your best-paid, highest-status rooms and let the grind sit quietly underneath.
- Burying or omitting the reel. If a promoter has to hunt for footage, they move on. A linked 3-to-5-minute highlights reel belongs near the top, every time.
- Vague venue claims. 'Played clubs all over' tells a booker nothing; name the clubs and the room sizes so they can place your level instantly.
- Ignoring your following. Leaving off follower counts and clip views hides the draw a modern promoter is partly paying for; treat your numbers as the credits they now are.
- One undifferentiated blob of gigs. Separate headlining, MC work and writing so a booker looking for a specific thing, a compere, a support, a writer, finds it fast.
Comedian Resume FAQs
The questions comedians most often ask when writing a resume for bookers and producers:
Lead with your act type, years working and best credits, then list venues and room sizes, festival runs, competitions, a linked reel with your follower numbers, and any writing or TV credits. It is a booking document, so credits and draw come before everything else.
Split it by the hats you wear: headline and feature spots, MC / compere work, and paid writing. Name the clubs and crowd sizes rather than writing 'various gigs', because bookers judge you by the rooms you can hold.
Yes, a linked 3-to-5-minute highlights reel is essentially required now. A promoter wants to see you close a real room before booking you, and clip views and follower counts double as proof you sell tickets.
One page. Bookers skim dozens, so keep it to your strongest credits, venues, festivals and reel link; a long, exhaustive gig list dilutes the high-status slots that actually earn the reply.
Only lightly, once you have paid work. Early on they show you are gigging, but as soon as you have headline or feature credits, lead with those and let open-mic history sit quietly underneath or drop off entirely.
Treat it as a credit near the top: state your follower counts, standout clip views and a link to your best content. Modern promoters buy draw, so numbers that prove you shift tickets belong beside your festival credits.
No, most circuit and club work comes direct from promoters and bookers, and a strong resume plus reel is enough to get spots. Representation helps with TV, touring and corporate, but plenty of working comics book themselves for years first.
Get Started With Our
Free Resume Creator today!
Free sign-up. No credit card required.
