What I learned from testing my TV Sitcom with a live,
(and very Yorkshire)
audience
Last year at the Big Comedy Conference, Lee Mack provided stark advice:
Stop hanging round with your script in your hand waiting for someone to read it. If you think it's good and you think it's funny, put it on.
"You have to do a sitcom on stage. You can't tell it's funny on the page." - Lee Mack
That was all I needed to hear. I was raring to go. Ready to find a stage and bring Facing Up to life.
By the summer I'd chosen a date of October 4th to do a live table read of the script. Facing Up has done well in competitions. But that's just one stage of validation. I wanted to see, what would happen if:
I filled a room full of people
From Yorkshire
On a Friday night
With no obligation to laugh
Bribed only slightly with a glass of complimentary Prosecco
I gathered some willing friends to be cast members, and then, like something that may or may not have ever been said by Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday:
"Why don't we put on the show right here!?"
A Massive PR Splash Would be Needed, Of Course....
I got to work promoting the evening in the best new publication that I know of: Hornsea Community News. Where the pages are filled with the updates on public conveniences, U3A and WI evenings, a bed time story column for children written by a local dog, and a list of that month's injuries from the free first aid centre. (I genuinely LOVE this community and its good news).
A Harsh Lesson Learned Early
I was excited to start rehearsals, but after the first one, my heart sank.
Everyone gave it their all, but parts of the script didn't quite work. Scene directions dragged, some lines were a mouthful to say. I still loved the premise, the action, the narrative but...
I had a LOT of work to do to get it ready for a live performance.
I wrote and rewrote feverishly. The pressure of knowing people would hear it and judge it based on a live reading gave me more clarity about what I wanted to achieve than simply sitting at my desk asking 'is this funny?'
I had to sharpen the directions, make it clear who was doing what, as well as tightening the dialogue, not just for delivery, but so that people would understand who was addressing who - as we wouldn't necessarily be able to show this as we read from the scripts. Especially in group scenes.
After each rehearsal I kept issuing new updates until the cast begged me to stop. They had their notes on their scripts, and with each new script they had to start again. So two weeks out from the event I only made changes to my lines and directions. We were pretty much there anyway, but you know. Always writing, always tweaking. :-)
The Big Night Loomed...
We had about 35-40 people attend the event.
Many weren’t sure what a table read entailed, but they were curious. The atmosphere was lively and welcoming, and I was keen to ensure it was a fun, relaxed event—both for the audience and for the cast, who were mostly old school friends volunteering their time.
And So it Began...
Hearing Facing Up come to life through the cast was a joy. Everyone brought angles and nuances I hadn’t considered. And their enthusiasm and commitment were incredible. All had busy schedules, yet they dedicated time to rehearsing and bringing energy to the performance.
Within minutes of the reading beginning, laughter was breaking out regularly, and that was an incredible feeling—one of the most rewarding moments I’ve had as a writer.
Sample Scenes:
After Jane's disastrous talk at the conference, she receives some 'sound' advice from the sound technician
Jane and the handsome Frazer meet for the first time after he sees her talking on stage. He was 'mesmerised'.
Dismayed by the conference, Jane still managers to charm the other speakers
Jane takes things to the next level with some sultry selfies for Frazer
Things start to unravel when Tom and Jane's infidelities are exposed
Tom's mistress is no idiot when it comes to organising her life (and infidelity)
Jane and Tom call it quits, but how far will they get with a fresh start?
So what did people think?
One thing I loved about the evening was that we had a real mix, from teenagers to people in their eighties.
The feedback was overwhelming. Obviously it's in my interests to state publicly that people liked it, but I'm not bullshitting. People really, really enjoyed it. Balls to modesty - they loved it.
They said the scene directions immersed themselves into the world of the show. The characters were equal parts absurd and relatable, and the biggest question of the night was:
What happens next!?
Which was just lovely to hear.
What I Learned
Organising a table read was a leap of faith, but it paid off. If I did it again, I’d have the confidence to invite more people. The experience reaffirmed that Facing Up has something that resonates, and that’s given me the motivation to push forward.
What’s Next?
My next goal is to refine the script further as a spec piece, showcasing my voice and style. I want to continue writing and developing work that could be a strong fit for a producer or agent looking for new comedy talent.
While writing is often a solitary pursuit, comedy thrives in collaboration. This event reminded me why I love storytelling, and I’m excited to take the next steps toward bringing Facing Up to a wider audience.
If you’re a writer debating whether to organise a table read—do it. Hearing your work performed, feeling the live reaction, and getting that instant audience feedback is invaluable. And if you’re lucky, you might just hear the most wonderful sound a comedy writer can experience: genuine, heartfelt laughter.
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