Non Stop Fresh Magazine Q1 2018 UK

The rise of stand-up
comedy
Stand-up comedy got its start in the
United States in the 1950s and 60s.
In the decades that followed, legends
like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and
Paul Mooney perfected the art. In the
early 90s, its popularity crossed over to
the Netherlands. Among the pioneers
of stand-up comedy in this country
was Raoul Heertje. He mustered a
group of like-minded comics, and
thus Comedytrain was born.
Learning from each
other
Howard Komproe is a long-time
Comedytrain member and is open
and animated in talking about it. ‘We
are a collective of around 40 stand-up
comics, all equals. When you come to
one of our comedy nights at Toomler,
you never know beforehand who you’ll
get to see. It could be a top name, or
a lesser-known, up-and-coming comic.
Regardless, they all get the same stage
time, and the closing act could just as
easily be someone less seasoned.
Comedytrain offers a safe space where
comics can develop their skills. After
the show, for example, we do a group
evaluation. Mentorships also arise
informally between budding talents and
those with more experience.’
Naked art form
‘With stand-up, your routine grows out
of your perceptions and emotions, the
things you see and experience. You have
to be observant, especially about the small
things – things that seem unremarkable
to other people, but trigger recognition
and make people laugh when you talk
about them. What’s great about humor
is that it’s something we all share. Standup
comedy is the most naked of any
art form – there’s nothing you can hide
behind, no set, no music, no lines written
‘Literally, you
cannot give up.
You’re the captain
of that ship,
and the audience
is your crew’
by someone else, no costume, nothing.
But the fact that it’s so naked also makes
it exciting to watch.’
Own world
‘Comedians are an arrogant breed.
We tell you “Sit down, give me your
time and money, I’m gonna make you
laugh”. Stand-up isn’t necessarily a
lifelong career choice. Some comics
eventually lose interest or simply can’t
do it anymore, and of course there are
other roads you can go down in comedy
as well. Just in the last few years, I’ve seen
comics become editors of TV and radio
programmes, cartoonists, copywriters,
presenters and authors. They still use
comedy, but the stage is no longer their
platform. Professionally, the comedy
landscape is increasingly diversifying
and becoming more popular than ever.
But despite all the options, I’ll stick with
doing stand-up, because that lets me
choose my own material. With writing for
television, for example, which I also do,
you’ve got to think a lot more about how
other people will receive it. On stage,
I can create my own world.’
Falling flat
‘The only way to become a comedian is
to be one. It’s not a destination you get
to. You just have to step up and do it!
You can rehearse till you’re blue in the
face, but you haven’t really done
anything until you get up in front of an
audience. By performing, flopping and
racking up experience, you get better,
bit by bit. Just like every server drops
the occasional tray and every cyclist
sometimes takes a wrong turn, making
jokes that fall flat or even a whole routine
that goes down in flames gives you the
tools you need to go back and make
good routines.’
A big bag of autumn
leaves
‘When creating a new routine, I start by
jotting down and remembering thoughts,
observations and viewpoints. All those
thoughts swirling around are like a big
bag filled with autumn leaves. At a
certain point, I shake them out on a
table and arrange all the leaves by
colour, shape and size. To create a story,
you need someone who can see the
big picture, someone to guide and
‘The best
thing about
performing
is connecting
with the
audience’
challenge you. They can help pick out
the things that belong together, or that
form a good contrast. And that evolves
into 90 minutes of material.’
But is it funny?
‘Eventually, you’ve got a routine, but you
don’t know if it’s any good. You don’t
know how it will go over, which is why
you have to perform it in front of an
audience. That’s how you hone your
act. You can’t run before you can walk,
and that’s what try-outs are for. You
have to give yourself the time and
space to let a show come into its own.
And when it’s done, that’s when you
can start playing the theatres, comedy
clubs and halls. I love that part.
I actually have a new show starting
this autumn, called Life on Stage, and
I can’t wait to start touring.’
Captain of the ship
‘The best thing about performing is
connecting with the audience. I always
try to leave room in my routines for real
interaction and make a point of breaking
the fourth wall. That’s the imaginary wall
separating the stage from the audience,
and when it’s there, the people on stage
barrel on regardless of what’s happening in
the theatre. That defies my comprehension,
because that interaction is the most
interesting part. I always interact with
my audience, be it in comedy shows,
presentations, workshops or when DJing.
Performing is great, but even now I still
get those momentary jitters or a twinge
of doubt when I go onstage. I’m never
like, “Fuck it, let’s just get this over with”.
I give it all I’ve got. If the audience
seems snarky, I try extra hard to put a
smile on their faces. You have to work for
it. You can’t give up. Literally, you cannot
give up. You’re the captain of that ship,
and the audience is your crew. You’re
the man in charge; it’s all on you! That’s
a part of stand-up too.’
‘Making jokes
that fall flat or even
a whole routine that
goes down in flames
gives you the tools you
need to go back and
make good routines’
10
11