Prop comedy is a comedy genre that makes use of humorous objects, or conventional objects used in humorous ways. The stage and film jargon "prop", an abbreviation of "property", refers to any object handled by an actor in the course of a performance.
A prop comic is a comedian who makes use of prop comedy. Prop comics are sometimes looked down upon by other comedians, and the term is sometimes used derisively; however, some, such as Tommy Cooper, rose to critical acclaim as their props revolved around a gimmick (such as Cooper's magic) and the comedian's character around that gimmick.
Types of Props
Props are usually common items that the comedian uses in an absurd way. There are some comics who use props that are hard to find and unique as it makes their comedy special.
The TV comedy game show Whose Line Is It Anyway? has a round called Props in which two teams of comedians are given a prop each and asked to improvise with them to humorous effect.
