A la Miranda - On with the Aside!

With a book to sell, Miranda Hart managed to get off the sofa and do the media rounds this week. And I, for one, was glad to see her. It was like an old friend dropping in. 

Funnily, when Miranda was at the height of her comic prowess, I never tuned in but - since becoming a mum - there's not a year that goes by when my daughter doesn't suddenly call out, “Mum, can we watch Miranda?” I'll admit, my heart initially sinks; there’s not a scene in the show I can’t mouth along to. Yet once we’ve hunkered down on the sofa, watching Miranda address us directly from her sofa, I soon enter into the daftness of the piece, and before you can say “Rude” I'm roaring out the catchphrases. 

One rare but distinctive performance quirk of Miranda is the aside. Those moments when Hart breaks the fourth wall, comes away from the scene and speaks to viewers or simply catches the eye of the camera and makes a reactionary face. If you're not sure what I mean, feast your eyes on this...

You’ve also seen Phoebe Waller-Bridge deliver asides in Fleabag and Woody Allen in Annie Hall. 

Asides work because they’re intimate and reveal something that we wouldn’t otherwise know about the speaker. And the reason I’m talking about them here is because they can work brilliantly in presentations, especially informative presentations. If you can break the fourth wall of your presentation by delivering an interesting observation, quip or tip, then you can lighten the mood and build rapport. 

Examples might include:
‘And finally we come to the Desiree programme…’ ASIDE ‘If some of you are thinking, ‘What’ve potatoes to do with prosthetics’, then don’t worry.’
‘The bus shelter would be located on Woodstock Road.’ ASIDE ‘Opposite what’s easily the best bakery in the city. I love a cream doughnut!’

How to deliver an effective aside

• Keep it short. More than 15 seconds and it’ll lose its impact
• Inflect a confidential tone. You’re sharing a secret, remember
• Make sure your face is animated. An eyebrow raise won’t hurt
• Allow a beat before returning to your presentation proper
• Treat it with discretion. Overuse the aside and your presentation will feel jerky.