Comedy with an Accent

When your host messaged Dan about the interview at the start of this year, he replied that he was still on the move after leaving Russia. He could not be sure where he will have a legal paper to stay.

It's a weirder-than-ever time to be a Russian comedian, especially one who dared to joke about Putin's height in his comedy special. Dan followed his instinct to become a 'travelling comedian'. Travelling or exiling, depending on how you see it.

In deciding to leave Moscow, Dan ditched a successful career as a stand up comedian back home. Even though it was still possible to continue to perform in his mother tongue for the overseas Russians, Dan decided to convert himself to an English stand up performer. He did have to start over again but in his own words, it is a chance to re-invent himself from Денис Чужой (Denis Chuzhoy) to Dan The Stranger.

Dan talks about this extraordinary journey and his comedy choices - why he'd shy away from hack Russian stereotypes and how Mike Birbiglia inspired him with comedy story-telling.

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Follow Dan on Instagram

His stand up special (in Russian) released in September 2021 that was mentioned in this episode

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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00:48 Intro

02:47 From a (domestic) Russian comedian to an exiled/travelling Russian comedian performing in English

07:30 Declaring his view on the war is a must

09:21 Infrequent English performances prior to the exile

10:53 Conversion to a new language to make a living

14:04 A chance to re-invent yourself

16:00 Continue to learn English from an App

18:20 The journey out of Russia

20:49 How have Dan’s audience changed after he left Russia?

21:48 Russian overseas do not stick together

24:22 Hack jokes based on Russian stereotypes

30:51 90% thinking in Russian and 10% thinking in English

32:13 Dan’s special in Russian released in 2021

33:29 “Russian comedy”?

37:01 Police knocks of the door for his jokes

40:25 Dan’s atypical comedy choice as a Russian comedian

42:33 Writing jokes inside a story

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Schalk Bezuidenhout was tour support for Trevor Noah and won South African Comics' Choice Awards' Newcomer and Break Through Act of the Year. This episode was recorded in May when the South African star brought his show to Soho Theatre in London for a 5-day run, filling the room with South African expats and local Brits alike.

Schalk explains the stereotypes attached to Afrikaans and talks about how Afrikaans speakers are often on the receiving end of jokes in South Africa, how the Afrikaans accent can be made fun of, Nevertheless, comedy serves as the unifying factor for the multi-racial post-Apartheid South Africa by creating a shared experience

When gigging abroad, the white South African label used to lead the audience to automatically assume the comic has got to be racist, so much so that a disclaimer is required. Schalk explains how things are changing and why he would always identify himself as an Afrikaans South African rather than just a South African.

*Apologies from your host in this episode as he mispronounced Afrikaans by omitting the "S" at the end on a few occasions.

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Follow Schalk on Instagram and his website

Schalk will be in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival this August! See Schalk in EdFringe

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

Your host Kuan-wen will be in Edinburgh in August, too!

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00:50 Intro

02:28 Afrikaans as a language (vs. Modern Dutch)

05:54 Schalk prefers performing in English

08:05 Languages in South Africa

09:28 South Africans’ less privileged passports

12:30 Schalk’s accent / comedy being one of the unifying factors in South Africa

16:11 Schalk performing in front of other ethnicities in South Africa

18:07 How Schalk was “forced” into learning English

19:29 Picking on English South Africans

19:59 Needing to warm up to switch to English

22:04 A party for South Africans (other guests welcome)

23:50 Changing words and slangs in the comedy set

25:39 Different approaches for gigging in different cities

28:36 A Public school is a Private school in the UK

29:34 People tend to ask “where’s your accent from?”

32:45 Afrikaans as oppressed (Anglo-Boer war) or oppressor (Apartheid)?

33:24 Comedy audience automatically assumed white South African comedians to be racist

36:30 The Afrikaans South African performer rather than just South African

38:41 South Africans in the UK more homesick than those in Australia

41:21 How many South Africans there are in the UK

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Having only started performing comedy in the UK in 2021, Joshua was crowned winner of So You Think You Are Funny in 2022 and bagged another win at London Comedy Store gong show. He was finalist at BBC New Comedy Award 2022 and nominated as Best Newcomer by Chortle.

The Southern India's native came to the UK for a corporate job and he only took up a comedy course to get better at communication doing his corporate job, These achievements and credits were unintended.

Equally unintended is his understated, still and measured stage delivery. Joshua claims he is just trying to remember his lines!

This episode inevitably covers a few big topics as our chilled and composed guest is incredibly intelligent and eloquent. Joshua explains the opening line about his accent he dislikes and how he has had to go the extra mile to convince others that some Indian boys really are called Joshua.

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Follow Joshua on Instagram and Youtube

Joshua's work=in=progress show at Top Secret Comedy Club in London on 17 July 2023 - tickets

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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00:38 Intro

02:43 Why is Joshua named Joshua? Anglo Indians or Indians who converted to Christianity?

07:49 Joking about his Indian accent he didn’t think he has;========= a school that focuses on English education

11:02 To “perfect” one’s accent?

12:09 The “Bank support accent” joke

15:00 “Sorry my name is not brown enough for you”

18:47 Joshua’s languages

20:14 Languages in South India

20:52 North v South in India

21:59 Colourism; racism without the race

24:44 Joshua on colonialism

30:11 A subdued, still style of comedy delivery (that is unintended)

34:25 Not staging a fake Indian accent

35:56 Joshua’s upcoming shows and social media

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Our very first Portuguese guest is comedian Jomi Cruz who radiates tons of youthful energy and resembles a junior Eurovision contestant. Jomi shares how he acquired a quasi American accent that is not good enough to fool Americans but just enough to trick some Brits.

Jomi chats about the few stereotypes associated with Portugal for British audience but the one bad joke about Madeline McCann* that is sure to put punters off but 1 out of every 5 new open mic comics tempts to do.

Sounding not typically Portuguese but more certainly camp, the fashion-forward and even androgynous-dressing Jomi explains how he learned to embrace his accent, his campiness through therapy. The episode was recorded back in January but the overlap of its release date with the renewed reservoir search for Maddie REALLY IS CONINCIDENTAL.

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Follow Jomi on Instagram and his London comedy night - Comedy Freaks

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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00:50 Intro

02:22 Madonna’s time in Lisbon

03:03 Where is the name “Jomi” from

03:57 What does Portuguese sound like?

04:27 Jomi’s fake-ish American accent

09:22 Not an obvious Portuguese accent vs hack immigrant comedy

12:08 Junior Eurovision vibe

13:08 Starting his comedy set stating he is Portuguese

14:42 Hating the way he spoke pre-therapy

16:28 Embracing his campness

22:00 Therapy and change of attitude towards his way of speaking

23:26 Rejected by toxic masculine male punters due to his dampness?

26:08 Jokes about Madeleine McCann

30:28 Portuguese typically good at foreign languages?

32:52 Being nice and The changing Portuguese mentality

34:55 Jomi’s social media

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Evaldas could have stayed in his native Lithuania and earned much more from doing comedy. After all, he started performing at a critical time in Lithuania when anyone who decided to perform was almost automatically a professional comedian.

Instead, the hopeless romantic fan of stand up comedy came to the UK and started again from bottom of the barrel - doing open mic gigs all over the place to work his way up. All these because he saw a visiting pro and concluded he had to leave to get good.

Your host Kuan-wen reunited with his victor - they both participated in a new act competition in Manchester in 2019. Your host came second; this episode's guest was the rightful winner.

Evaldas talks about how he worked on his English to soften the accent and how he gets annoyed when the audience make notes of his accent rather than focusing on his jokes. He talks about the "East European" label as seen by audience in the UK, as most Brits know very little about his home country.

You will also hear Evaldas' nuanced view on comedy sketches on social media, including his own ones, and the use of social media for comedians in general. Apart from comedy, the discussion also includes his take on the legacy of Russian/Soviet occupation in Lithuania

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Follow Evaldas on Instagram and Youtube

Evaldas also produced a very interesting documentary on his experience of participating in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as a new-ish comedian. See the documentary here.

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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00:53 Intro

02:11 Evaldas’ seemingly American accent

04:58 Lithuania and Taiwan’s “Small Country Syndrome”

06:38 Evaldas would rather people focus on his jokes than on his accent (even if it is a praise)

09:01 Private English lessons in the past and continue to work on his English pronunciation

11:16 Being half Russian but not embracing the Russian side of heritage

13:52 Comedy audiences from Eastern Europe

15:36 Russian or English as foreign language in Lithuania

17:34 Why Evaldas moved to the UK (Manchester first, then London)

19:22 Lithuania’s fast-growing comedy scene

23:31 The regional “East European” identity

26:30 Not yet addressing a harsh and poor East European childhood on stage

27:26 A preference over American style comedy

30:43 Evaldas’ committed approach to comedy sketches on social media

32:17 Social media as a comedian’s necessary evil in this day and age

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Described by some as the "mother hen" of Singapore's burgeoning stand up comedy scene, Sam has just performed his solo show "Government Approved Sex" to critical acclaim at this year's Melbourne Comedy Festival.

This episode was recorded at the start of 2023 when Sam returned to the UK after a mini-tour in continental Europe (preceded by a full Edinburgh fringe run last summer).

Sam shares why his mother tongue Mandarin isn't his most proficient language - something that is not uncommon for Singaporeans. He explains how Singapore's language policy means he no longer speaks the languages of his grandparents, which his parents use to openly hide secrets from him.

Sam also provides his insightful take on the differences between audiences in Singapore, continental Europe and the UK.

Due to your host's friendship with Sam, there have been a lot of banters and swear words so apologies for the numerous beeps this episode!

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Follow Sam on Instagram, Twitter and his website

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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00:52 Intro (Bickering between the guest Sam and your host Kuan-wen)

05:24 Not fluent in his mother tongue - Mandarin

07:14 Singapore’s official language and de facto lingua franca

09:52 Why doesn’t Sam speak any southern Chinese languages?

13:12 International school v Chinese school students

15:23 Sam’s not-quite-Singlish English accent

17:50 Choosing to focus on stand up comedy in English instead of Mandarin

19:35 Sam’s role in Singapore’s stand up comedy scene/ opening for Jim Jeffery

21:40 Scottish comedians slowing down when performing in Singapore

22:43 Singapore’s complex relationship with its neighbour Malaysia

24:38 On Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew

27:43 Differences between comedy audiences in Singapore, continental Europe and the UK

29:19 Sam’s "Introductory Set"

31:41 Kuan-wen’s example of how comedy savvy the UK audience can be

32:42 Sam’s “Introductory Set” when performing abroad

36:20 Does Sam always mention he is gay on stage abroad?

38:29 Sam’s military service experience

41:04 Sam’s social media

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Actor and comedian Anne Klein is the first Oscar nominee (In the short film The Red Suitcase) and the first Luxembourgish guest on this podcast. Fluent in English, French, German and her native Luxembourgish, Anne has this amazing ability to switch between languages and disguises her accent(s) to fool inattentive listeners.

Anne talked about being the oddball that is too weird for her small country and her coming of age after she left Luxembourg. The pandemic ironically forced her to move back home for a year or two, but this time round, she managed to find her arty people in the small country of 646,000 people and changed her pre-existing view on her own hometown.

Anne also talked about how Luxembourgish lacks a richer vocabulary because of the people's fluency in languages of their neighbouring countries.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Anne shared how she started her comedy journey and offered her view on actors and comedians not just "picking one lane."

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Follow Anne on Instagram, Twitter and her website.

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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01:01 Intro (sound tech guessing where Anne is from)

03:46 Some facts about Luxembourg

05:07 How to pronounce Anne’s name

05:49 Luxembourgish people’s abilities to switch between languages

08:11 English being Anne’s language of choice when she talks about her emotions

09:42 Coming of age after leaving Luxembourg

13:48 In London, no one cares about your appearance

(Kuan-wen mentioned Sam Smith's 2023 Brit Awards outfit. For a reminder, see this)

15:27 Do people notice Anne has an accent? How does Anne’s accent(s) affect her acting work?

17:57 Anne’s French and German (proficiency and accents)

22:08 The Luxembourgish language and how it’s used (Students taught in German and French)

25:58 How to say “Four beers, quick quick” in Luxembourg

26:14 People not knowing (enough) about Luxembourg

27:11 Kuan-wen unimpressed by his day trip to Luxembourg

28:02 Anne rarely mentions Luxembourg in her comedy routines

29:27 The pandemic forced Anne to move back home and the difference this time

31:12 A trained actor performing comedy; pick a lane?

34:40 Luxembourg and Eurovision

36:13 Love having her hands in lots of pies

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

This week, your host Kuan-wen would like to introduce the burgeoning comedy scenes in his native Taiwan - both in English and in Mandarin - as an example of how Asia is catching the stand up comedy fever (and catching up!). Since he has not lived in Taiwan for over a decade, the introduction is recorded through the eyes of an Englishman who has spent the last few years first in Shanghai and then in Taipei.

Outside comedy, Adam is a journalist who moved to Asia for work and perhaps for a bit of change of scenery. Then Covid happened and the lucky Adam enjoyed a relatively free year of 2020 in Taiwan. He was heavily involved in the English-speaking "expat scenes" in Taiwan, witnessing the growth of the parallel local scene and even started performing in Mandarin himself.

There are long queues for people who want to sign up to perform. Someone's first open mic gig may be in front of an audience of 180. But, occasionally, you perform to audience who are actually not that fluent in English and are introduced as, "here comes a white dude who performs stand up comedy."

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Follow Adam on Instagram and Twitter

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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01:02 Intro

04:08 Kuan-wen and Adam swapped their homelands

07:05 Adam’s (West) Yorkshire accent

09:22 Adam’s Taiwanese sounding Mandarin accent

12:21 How Taiwanese and Chinese speak differently

13:54 Taiwan’s Mandarin and English Open Mic scenes

17:45 Avoiding references not relevant to audience in Asia

20:36 Why did Adam move to Shanghai first and Taiwan later

24:00 Adam spent 2020 Covid free in Taiwan

27:59 Comedy based on East Asian stereotypes

35:05 English comedy shows in Asia and “Expat scenes”

39:08 Adam’s social media

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

Our mini Scandinavia tour comes back to Norway again after two recent episodes feauturing guests from Denmark and Sweden. Viggo Venn, previously half of clowning duo Zack & Viggo, is our second guest from Norway.

Viggo trained as a clown at the renowned École Philippe Gaulier, where he is now a member of the teaching staff. His clowning instinct - a desire to entertain and a persistence to embrace failures ("flops") - meant this recording has been the most chaotic and disruptive to date. But it was fun!

Viggo explains why he exaggerates the "foreign idiot" persona on stage and consequently exaggerates his accent. We also peek into Viggo's journey as a performer - how he ended up training as a clown after coming across Dr. Brown's show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Viggo was not only interviewed but performed throughout this recording. The whole episode is interwoven with two running gags, namely Viggo insisting he and your host Kuan-wen are related due to the pronunciation of their names and that Viggo is not happy another Norwegian comedian (Thor Stenhaug in episode 2) was invited first.

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Follow Viggo on Instagram and check out his website for shows and clown workshops

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram and Twitter

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email [email protected]

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Episode timeline

00:59 Intro

03:08 How Viggo wrongly pronounces his own name and Viggo starts the running gag he and Kuan-wen are brothers (and went wild)

06:48 A stronger Norwegian accent on stage in the UK to be the “foreign ldiot”

11:45 Are Norwegians more boring?

12:50 Norwegians’ perception of themselves and attitudes towards Sweden and Denmark

15:35 UK comedy audience’s particular appreciation of high brow and silly lowbrow comedy at the same time

16:40 Kuan-wen’s observation how Viggo adjusts his accent

18:50 A clown that does stand up

24:37 Viggo being disruptive (AGAIN!)

26:09 How Viggo decided to train as a clown

28:55 Purist believers of stand up comedy

32:46 Zack & Viggo

33:58 Viggo being disruptive (AGAIN!)

39:26 Viggo’s social media

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe