Tommy Sheppard: Just to be clear, it’s not big and it’s not clever

Whoever thought that was a good idea? You never hear of people standing up in the cinema and shouting at the screen (and God knows I’ve felt like it sometimes), or interrupting a Shakespearean monologue with some lines of their own.

Yet when it comes to comedy clubs, there’s a mistaken belief in many quarters that a comic’s performance will somehow be enhanced by an unsolicited contribution from the floor. On several occasions we’ve thrown hecklers out of The Stand protesting that they were only trying to help.

Just to be clear – we don’t allow heckling, never have. It’s not big and it’s not clever. It’s true that most competent comics can handle hecklers, but why should they have to? Comedians spend ages writing routines and jokes. They edit and re-edit words to get them just right. They practise their delivery, adjusting pauses and pitch to get the nuance perfect.

It’s really not going to be improved by a loudmouth with more ale in them than they can handle shouting out comments.

Heckling is not to be confused with audience interaction. But at the risk of sounding like a Victorian dad. the golden rule is speak when spoken to.

• Tommy Sheppard is director of The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh.