Stand-up comedy is something that everyone enjoys – after all, what better excuse to laugh your heart out than at a good show? But what most of us don’t know is what it feels like to be the one onstage, trying to make a room full of people laugh. We speak to stand-up comedian Luwita Hana Randhawa about the challenges faced in her line of work.

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1. My biggest fear is forgetting my jokes onstage

I popped my stand-up comedy cherry at Comedy Kao Kao (2012) and I was so scared of getting stuck mid-joke, but I was spunky enough that I didn’t care if my jokes would be well-received.

2. People often forget that comedy is a legit career

I don’t really (try to) spend my time convincing people that comedy is a legit career because I know it is. My parents have never really stopped me from doing this, except maybe once or twice they gently suggested I look into something else, haha. However, I did drama since the beginning of high school so they’ve come to accept that this is who I am.

3. I don’t always give audiences jokes in the manner they’re used to

The biggest thing for me has been how I’ve always operated as a third culture kid in a heavily local-flavoured scene. Usually, inspiration for my jokes comes from everyday occurrences like something funny that I saw or experienced.

4. Telling a line and getting no laughs out of it is a comedian’s worst nightmare.

This happens to me probably more often than not. It’s absolutely soul-crushing.

5. I don’t see myself ultimately as a stage (stand up) comedian.

Although the stage is where I started, it’s not the place I enjoy the most to deliver my comedy. I prefer the screen and that’s ultimately where I want to be. I would love to be a comedian that writes and acts in her own show, whether it’s a sketch comedy series like Portlandia or a sitcom like The Mindy Project.