The Joke’s in the Room: Building a Set from the Crowd Up
Matteo Lane at The Comedy Cellar in New York City
Some comics write. Others riff. And then there are the wizards—people like Matteo Lane—who walk on stage with nothing but a microphone and confidence, and somehow spin spontaneous crowd chatter into a fully realized set. Not just one-liners or witty banter, but a whole narrative that feels scripted even though it’s being built in real time.
So how do you do that—build a set out of thin air? Let’s break it down.
1. Crowdwork Isn’t Chaos—It’s Controlled Improvisation
Good crowdwork looks off-the-cuff, but it’s really structured improvisation. The audience provides raw material, but you’re still driving the car. Matteo Lane doesn’t wing it—he weaves it. He guides people’s answers into stories, callbacks, and punchlines that fit his comedic voice.
If you try to copy that energy without structure, you’ll end up sounding like the drunk cousin at a wedding.
So: listen actively, steer gently, and shape relentlessly.
🟢 Pro Tip: Don’t “fish” with random questions—aim them like darts. Have two or three topics you know how to pivot into a bit from (relationships, jobs, travel).
2. Build Modular Bits
You don’t need a full script—you need modules. Think of these as story templates, setups, or categories you can pivot to. For example:
“Any couples here tonight?” (Relationships bit)
“Who’s visiting from out of town?” (Regional material)
“What do you do for a living?” (Job jokes, capitalism rants, the whole buffet)
Each topic is a doorway. You don’t know who’ll walk through it, but you know what kind of jokes are waiting behind it.
🟢 Pro Tip: Keep a mental “bit bank.” When a question works well, repeat it at the next show. You’re building a flexible framework, not a script.
3. Keep Mental Callbacks in Your Pocket
Matteo is a master at looping back. Someone mentions their mom’s on a dating app? Fifteen minutes later, he calls it back during a totally different conversation, and the audience loses it.
Callbacks make your crowdwork set feel cohesive instead of chaotic. So listen carefully. If something gets a huge laugh early, bookmark it mentally. You’ll thank yourself later when you tie it all together and look like a comedic genius.
🟢 Pro Tip: Try to end your set with a callback to something from the first five minutes. It tricks the audience into thinking the whole thing was written—instant structure!
4. Trust Silence (It’s Your Scene Partner)
Crowdwork relies on timing and tension. Don’t rush to fill every second. Give the audience member space to answer, hang themselves, or hand you gold. The best moments often come when you wait—and the crowd realizes they’re part of the show.
🟢 Pro Tip: When in doubt, smile and wait. Audiences often laugh just from the tension. Silence can be your best punchline setup.
5. Protect the Room
There’s a thin line between teasing and trashing. You can roast someone’s shoes, their job, or their love life—but never make them feel unsafe. The crowd will laugh at your jokes until they start worrying they’re next. And once that happens, the energy dies.
The secret? Make the audience member your co-star, not your victim.
🟢 Pro Tip: Compliment before you roast. “You seem like the responsible one in your group” softens the blow before the punch.
6. Make It Repeatable
If you find a crowdwork exchange that always kills—write it down. Refine it. Build around it. That’s how you turn improvisation into material. Some of Matteo’s best bits started as crowd moments that evolved into polished jokes.
The goal isn’t to be spontaneous forever. It’s to mine spontaneity for gold you can cash in later.
🟢 Pro Tip: Record every set. The funniest stuff often comes from moments you’ll barely remember unless you listen back.
7. Embrace the Risk
A crowdwork set is a high-wire act. No net, no script, no guarantees. But that risk creates electricity. The audience knows you’re doing something dangerous, and they lean in.
That tension—the feeling that anything could happen—is addictive. And when it works, it’s pure magic. When it doesn’t? Well, that’s why you also keep five minutes of tested material in your back pocket.
🟢 Pro Tip: If a moment bombs, name it. “Okay, that didn’t go anywhere—but it was exciting, right?” Laughter resets the energy instantly.
Building a crowdwork-based set isn’t about winging it. It’s about mastering the art of real-time storytelling, turning the unpredictable into something unforgettable. Matteo Lane makes it look effortless—but every effortless performance is built on years of effort.
So next time you grab the mic, remember: you don’t need a script. You just need to listen, steer, and trust that you can turn conversation into comedy.
