Phil Micallef, Englishman in Prague, keeps it local this week as he speaks to Kristýna Haklová, a Czech stand-up comedian and founder and owner of the comedy promotions brand Velvet Comedy. She discussed all the key Czech-related issues, such as what Czechs really think of foreigners, what foreigners really think of Czechs, what everyday life was like for her older relatives under Communism, Bill Clinton and former Czech president Václav Havel’s beer-fuelled 90’s bromance and, most importantly, why the age-old stereotypical cliché of Czechs being terrible at customer service, while not strictly being untrue, is certainly unfair! Kristýna’s 6-month old kitten, Archie, also dropped in (literally, onto the audio recorder) to say „Ahoj!” (yes non-Czechs – that really is how the Czechs use speech marks – mad innit!).
Kristýna grew up in the town of Beroun, just to the west of Prague, and has also lived in New Zealand for a couple of years. As founder, owner, and all-round empress of Velvet Comedy, she has put on many a wonderful comedy show in Prague and other parts of the Czech Republic over the last few years, featuring well-known touring comedians, such as Judah Friedlander, Todd Barry and Norman Lovett, to name just a few. She also works tirelessly to give opportunities for skill-honing to local Prague-based comedians, such as everyone else who has been on this podcast so far, including me (sorry, I lapsed into the more familiar first person there – Phil will now quietly slip back to the more professional-looking third person form).
Follow Velvet Comedy on Facebook and Instagram for more details about all the wonderful English comedy shows Kristýna is putting on. Also follow Comedy Prague for details on more fun comedy shenanigans in this most joyous of cities.
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Big thanks to Benny Curtis for help with coming up with ideas and for the fetching logo design.