Steve Byrne Interview

Melissa Parker: How long does it take to write a comedy routine for these specials?

Steve Byrne: Well, the first half hour special took me 8 years to write. Happy Hour took me 2 years and this one took me a year and a half, so I’m getting better at the writing (laughs). I’m trying to churn one out every 2 years now so by 2012, I’ll have my third hour.

MP: What makes a routine work?

SB: The secret in it all is that I’ll never know what really works. Night after night I’m taking a blank slate of what I think could possibly be funny and saying it to an audience. They’ll let me know if I’m correct or not which is a very odd way of going about a profession but ultimately, collectively, the audience always will be very honest with you.

The audience will either laugh or they won’t. That’s when I know if something works. It’s very troubling, it’s frustrating, but a lot of fun at the same time and I have a blast doing it.

Steve Byrne Interview: Hot Comic on the Premiere of His Comedy Central Special ‘The Byrne Identity’ / Smashing Interviews Magazine / JULY 23, 2010