Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience, with the absence of the theatrical fourth wall. The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a Proscenium Theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play A person who performs stand-up comedy is known as a stand-up comic, stand-up comedian or more informally stand up. It is usually performed by a single comedian, with the aid of a hand-held microphone. A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh The comedian usually recites a fast-paced succession of humorous stories, short jokes (called "bits"), and one-liners, which comprise what is typically called a monologue, routine or act. See also Mathematics of humor A joke is a short story or ironic depiction of a situation communicated with the intent of being humorous. A one-liner is a Joke that is delivered in a single line Many comedians have adopted this comedic method in their act A monologue is an extended uninterrupted speech or poem by a single person Some stand-up comedians use props, music or magic tricks to enhance their acts. A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is any object held or used on stage by an Actor for use in furthering the plot or story line of a Theatrical Stand-up comedy is often performed in comedy clubs, bars, colleges and theaters. A comedy club is a venue typically a Nightclub, where people watch or listen to performances including Stand-up comedians improvisational Comedians, However, there is no real restriction on where the craft can be performed. Many smaller venues hold "open mic" events, where amateur comedians perform comedy before a live audience, offering a way for such performers to hone their craft and possibly break into the business. An open mike or open mic (or open spots) is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone In North America, many comedy clubs feature the now-iconic brick wall as the backdrop for stand-up performances. Brickwork Masonry is produced when a Bricklayer uses Bricks and mortar to build up structures such as Walls Bridges and

Many stand-up routines are similar to one-man shows, with the main difference being the expectations of the audience, who, in the case of stand-up, expect a relatively steady stream of "laughs". For art exhibitions see solo show In performing arts and entertainment a one person show or solo show is frequently performed by but This in turn affects the aims of the performer, who is under great pressure to deliver those laughs. If the performer cannot coax laughs out of the crowd, sometimes the crowd will poke fun at the comedian, a practice known as heckling. A heckler is a person who shouts a disparaging comment at a performance or event or interrupting set-piece speeches for example at a political meeting

Stand-up comedy is difficult to master partly because the performer is at the mercy of the audience, which is an integral element of the act. An adept stand-up comedian must nimbly play off the mood and tastes of any particular audience, and adjust his or her routine accordingly. Stand-up is an art form that is openly devoted to getting laughs from an audience above all else (unlike theatrical comedy, which creates comedy within the structure of a play and with character and situation). A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters The skills attributed to stand-up are diverse; it is often necessary for a stand-up comic to simultaneously assume the roles of a writer, editor, performer, promoter, producer and technician.

One hallmark of a master stand-up comedian is the ability to not only face down a "heckler", but win over and entertain the rest of the crowd with a witty retort. A heckler is a person who shouts a disparaging comment at a performance or event or interrupting set-piece speeches for example at a political meeting Many stand-up comedians work for years to develop 45 minutes of material, and usually perform their bits repeatedly, slowly perfecting them over time. Actor-comedian Will Ferrell has called stand-up comedy hard, lonely and vicious. John William "Will" Ferrell (ˈfærəl born July 16, 1967) is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice actor, [1]

Contents 1 US history 2 Stand-up around the world 2.1 United States 2.1.1 New York City 2.1.2 Los Angeles 2.1.3 Boston 2.1.4 Detroit 2.1.5 San Diego 2.1.6 San Francisco 2.1.7 Texas 2.1.8 Washington, DC 2.1.9 Atlanta 2.1.10 St.Louis 2.2 Canada 2.2.1 Toronto 2.2.2 Montreal 2.2.3 Vancouver 2.2.4 Influences 2.3 United Kingdom 2.4 Australia 2.5 Spain 2.6 Hong Kong 2.7 The Netherlands 2.8 Germany 2.8.1 English-speaking stand-up 2.8.2 Festivals 3 Comedy festivals 4 Other media 5 See also 6 References

US history

Stand-up comedy has its roots in various traditions of popular entertainment of the late 19th century including vaudeville, English Music Halls, Minstrel shows, humorist monologues (by personalities such as Mark Twain, a notable master), and circus clown antics. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 minstrel was a medieval European Bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories about distant places or about real or imaginary historical events A humorist is a person who writes or performs humorous material Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist Clowns have always been an integral part of the American Circus. Comedians of this era often donned an ethnic persona (African/Ethiopian, Scottish, German, Jewish, etc. ) and built a routine based on popular stereotypes. Jokes were generally broad and material was widely shared.

The fathers of modern American stand-up comedy, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Fred Allen, Milton Berle, and Frank Fay all came from vaudeville. Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky February 14, 1894 - December 26, 1974) was an American Comedian, vaudevillian Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Fred Allen (born John Florence Sullivan May 31 1894 - March 17, 1956) was an American Comedian whose absurdist Mendel "Milton Berle" Berlinger ( July 12, 1908 &ndash March 27, 2002) was an Emmy -winning American Comedian Francis or Frank Fay may refer to Frank Fay (Irish actor, co-founder of the Abbey Theatre Frank Fay (American actor, known for They spoke directly to the audience, in front of the curtain, known as performing "in one. " Frank Fay gained acclaim as a "masters of ceremonies" at New York's Palace Theater and is credited with creating the style of 20th century stand-up. Francis or Frank Fay may refer to Frank Fay (Irish actor, co-founder of the Abbey Theatre Frank Fay (American actor, known for

Following vaudeville, nightclubs and resorts became the new breeding ground for stand-ups. Acts like Alan King, Danny Thomas, Don Rickles, and Jack E. Leonard flourished in these new arenas. Alan King may refer to Alan King (comedian, American comedian Alan King (filmmaker, Canadian documentary filmmaker Danny Thomas ( January 6, 1912 - February 6, 1991) was an American nightclub Comedian and television and film For the radio and television announcer see Donald Rickles (announcer. Jack E Leonard ( April 24, 1910 &ndash May 10, 1973) was an American Comedian who made frequent appearances on television

In the 1950s and into the 1960s, led by Mort Sahl, stand-ups began developing their acts in small folk clubs (like San Francisco's hungry i or New York's Bitter End). Morton Lyon Sahl (born May 11, 1927) is a Canadian-born American Comedian and Actor. These comedians added an element of social satire and expanded both the language and boundaries of stand-up venturing into politics, race relations, and sexual humor. Race relations is the area of Sociology that studies the Social, Political, and Economic relations between races at all different Lenny Bruce became known as a "sick" comic when he used language that sometimes got him arrested. Lenny Bruce (October 13 1925 &ndash August 3 1966 born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was an American Stand-up comedian, Writer, social Other notable comics from this era include Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Shelly Berman, and Bob Newhart. Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; December 1 1935 is an American Film director, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and William Henry Cosby Jr (born July 12 1937 is an American Comedian, Actor, Author, Television producer and Activist. George Robert "Bob" Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American stand-up comedian and Actor. Also some African-American comedians such as Redd Foxx, George Kirby, and Dick Gregory began to cross over to white audiences during this time. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Redd Foxx ( December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991) born John Elroy Sanford, His father an Electrician, left the family George Kirby ( June 8, 1923 &ndash September 30, 1995) was an American Comedian, singer and Actor from Dick Gregory (born Richard Claxton Gregory on October 12, 1932) is an American Comedian, Social activist, Writer

Phyllis Diller ventured out as the first solo female stand-up comic, opening the door to other funny women such as Joan Rivers, Lily Tomlin, Elaine Boosler, and Roseanne Barr. Bold text Phyllis Diller (born Phyllis Driver, July 17, 1917) is a Golden Globe -nominated American comedienne Joan Rivers (born Joan Alexandra Molinsky; June 8, 1933) is an American Comedian, Actress, Talk show Mary Jean “Lily” Tomlin (born September 1 1939 is an American Actress, Comedian, Writer and producer who has won several Elayne Boosler (born August 18, 1952 in New York City) is an American Comedian, and hosted the short-lived game show Balderdash Roseanne Cherrie Barr, aka Roseanne Barr, aka Roseanne Arnold, aka Roseanne Thomas, aka Roseanne (born November 3 1952 is an Emmy

Stand-up in the 1970s saw several entertainers becoming major stars based on stand-up comedy performances. Richard Pryor and George Carlin followed Lenny Bruce's acerbic style to become icons. Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III ( December 1, 1940 &ndash December 10, 2005) was an American Comedian, Actor George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12 1937 – June 22 2008 was an American stand-up comedian, often considered one of the best of all time Stand-up expanded from clubs, resorts, and coffehouses into major concerts in sports arenas and amphitheaters. Steve Martin and Bill Cosby had levels of success with gentler comic routines. Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actor, Comedian, Writer, William Henry Cosby Jr (born July 12 1937 is an American Comedian, Actor, Author, Television producer and Activist. The older style of stand-up comedy (no social satire) was kept alive by Rodney Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett, who enjoyed revived careers late in life. Rodney Dangerfield ( November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) born Jacob Cohen, was an American Comedian Buddy Hackett ( August 31, 1924 &ndash June 30, 2003) was an American Comedian and Actor. Television programs such as Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show launched the careers of other stand-up comedians. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running

By the 1980s, the rising popularity of stand-up led to a boom in stand-up comedy venues for locally-based and touring comics. It seemed every major and minor city in the United States had at least one "comedy club" that each week featured an MC, middle act, and a headliner. Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Sam Kinison, and Billy Crystal tested their comic skills with live stand-up comedy appearances. Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3 1961 is an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born on April 29 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian actor and writer Samuel "Sam" Burl Kinison ( December 8 1953 &ndash April 10 1992) was an American William Edward "Billy" Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is an American Golden Globe Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning

By the 1990s, the glut of stand-up comedy clubs led to an inevitable decline, as the market became somewhat flooded with comedians of varying talent levels. Established stand-up comedians still commanded top ticket prices but less famous acts often struggled to find audiences. This was a difficult time for many comics in the US. The 1990s also saw the rise of alternative comedy in Los Angeles at venues including the Un-Cabaret and the Diamond Club featured performers like Beth Lapides, Bob Odenkirk, Janeane Garofalo, Patton Oswald, David Cross and Paul F. Tompkins who 'de-constructed' formal comedy and embraced the personal rants and visceral storytelling tradition of Lenny Bruce. Alternative comedy is a style of Comedy that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and 1980s which would eventually go on to become mainstream in the Un-Cabaret is a Los Angeles -based Alternative comedy organization that produces live TV and multi-media projects workshops and events Beth Lapides is an entertainer Did I Wake You? Lapides's first book "DID I WAKE YOU? - Haikus for Modern Living" was published in 2007 Robert "Bob" Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American Comedian, Actor, Writer, director and Jane Anne (Janeane Garofalo (born September 28, 1964) is an American stand-up Comedian, actress, political activist, writer Patton Oswalt (born January 27 1969) is an American Stand-up comedian, voiceover artist and Actor. David Cross (born April 4 1964 is an Emmy Award -winning American Comedian, Writer and Actor. Paul F Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American actor and comedian Lenny Bruce (October 13 1925 &ndash August 3 1966 born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was an American Stand-up comedian, Writer, social One of the most influential comic of this period was Bill Hicks, who earned most of his popularity posthumously, after interest in stand-up comedy rebounded. William Melvin Hicks ( December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian.

As the cable network Comedy Central grew tremendously in popularity into the mid-90s, stand-up comics once again had an opportunity to gain mainstream exposure. Comedy Central is an American Cable television and Satellite television channel that carries predominantly Comedy programming Shows like Premium Blend and The A-List focused on young, upcoming comics, while Lounge Lizards and later Comedy Central Presents offered original half-hour specials. Premium Blend is a Television show on the American Cable television channel Comedy Central. The A-List is a series of young adult novels by Zoey Dean. The series about a group of rich friends who live in Beverly Hills, currently has Comedy Central Presents (also called CCP) is a Television series featured on Comedy Central.

Many observers believe that Chris Rock's stand-up career and popular HBO special Bring the Pain,(1996) was instrumental to stand-up comedy's revival during the late 1990s. Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American Comedian, Actor, Screenwriter, Television

By the 2000s, comedy had enjoyed a resurgence, not only because of Rock's popularity, but because of newer media outlets such as the internet, television channels like Comedy Central and various comedy schools, troupes, and improv groups nurturing new talent through workshops and classes. Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American Comedian, Actor, Screenwriter, Television The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Comedy Central is an American Cable television and Satellite television channel that carries predominantly Comedy programming In the new century stand-up continues to flourish with new stars Doug Stanhope, Mike Birbiglia, Kathy Griffin, Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman, and the late Mitch Hedberg. Douglas Gene Stanhope (born March 25, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian who currently lives in the small U Mike Birbiglia (Born June 20 1978 is an Italian-American Stand-up comic from Shrewsbury Massachusetts who now resides in New York. Kathleen "Kathy" Griffin (born November 4, 1960 though not gay herself Griffin has been a voice actress and a Red carpet commentator Louis CK (born Louis Szekely on September 12, 1967 in Washington D Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1 1970 is an Emmy -winning American Comedian, Writer, Singer, Guitarist, and Mitchell Lee Hedberg (February 24 1968 – March 29 2005 Hedberg's comedy and on-stage persona gained him a Cult following, with audience members sometimes shouting out the

Stand-up around the world

United States

New York City

In the United States, New York City is still widely considered to be the heart of the stand-up scene, with scores of young rising stars as well as established comics testing new material at the Comedy Cellar when not on the road. The City of New York The Comedy Cellar is a famous Comedy club in Manhattan, where many top New York comedians perform Caroline's on Broadway helped pioneer the "headliner club" and is still considered one of the top clubs in the country for headliners, with past performers such as Larry Tompkins, Bill Hicks, Colin Quinn, Gilbert Gottfried, Mitch Hedberg, Jerry Seinfeld and a host of others. Broadway, as the name implies is a wide avenue in New York City. Larry Tompkins (born 13 June, 1963) is a former Irish sportsperson William Melvin Hicks ( December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian. Colin Quinn (born June 6, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York) is an Irish-American Comedian, best known for his five years in the Gilbert Gottfried (born February 28 1955 in Brooklyn New York) is an American stand-up comedian and Actor whose most salient Mitchell Lee Hedberg (February 24 1968 – March 29 2005 Hedberg's comedy and on-stage persona gained him a Cult following, with audience members sometimes shouting out the Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born on April 29 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian actor and writer Larger clubs have begun to proliferate in New York as evidenced by the appearance of Laugh Factory, a staple of the LA comedy scene, going up in Times Square as well as Comix in the meatpacking district; both of which are newer large capacity comedy clubs. The Laugh Factory is a Comedy club in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip Times Square is a major intersection in Manhattan, New York City at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West

In New York City's Greenwich Village, comedy flourishes outside of the stand-up club circuit as well. Greenwich Village (ˌgrɛnɪtʃ ˈvɪlɪdʒ often simply called the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern Manhattan Theaters that are more known for sketch comedy, such as the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), as well as cabarets that do not exclusively offer comedy, like Rififi, hold weekly comedy shows. Sketch comedy consists of a series of short Comedy scenes or vignettes called "sketches" commonly between one and ten minutes long The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre or UCB Theatre is an Improvisational theatre and associated Training Center in Chelsea, New York, and Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring Comedy, Song, Dance, and Theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue &mdash a Restaurant The UCB Theater has a show called "Crash Test" every Monday, hosted by Aziz Ansari. Aziz Ansari (born February 23, 1983) is an American actor/comedian Rififi has "Invite Them Up", hosted by Bobby Tisdale and Eugene Mirman. Eugene Boris Mirman is a Russian born American comedian writer and film maker who is based in New York City.

Some would say that these places are helping to breed a new comic form known as alternative comedy, which is characterized by more character-based, surreal, or absurd humor as opposed to observations of everyday life or more polemical themes. Alternative comedy is a style of Comedy that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and 1980s which would eventually go on to become mainstream in the Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members A growing number of comics (Demetri Martin, Slovin and Allen, Andres du Bouchet, Variety SHAC, Will Franken) do not strictly tell jokes on stage, opting to play music or perform sketches, making their performances more vaudevillian than traditional stand-up. Demetrios Evan Martin (born May 25 1973 in New York City, New York) is an Emmy Award -nominated and Perrier comedy award -winning American Will Franken (born June 30, 1973) is a comedian based in New York City once based in San Francisco.

Los Angeles

As the home to much of the American entertainment industry, Los Angeles is a major market for American stand-up comedy, and provides stand-up comics with more opportunity to branch out into television and film. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The Los Angeles comedy scene consistently showcases world famous comics regularly playing at major comedy venues, such as The Laugh Factory, the Hollywood Improv, and the Comedy Store. The Laugh Factory is a Comedy club in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip The Improv is a Comedy club founded in 1963 in New York City. The Comedy Store is a Comedy club located in West Hollywood California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. Los Angeles' comedy scene is often criticized for having too many comics interested in transitioning into other media, with relatively few dedicated solely to the art of stand-up. Prominent figures in the L. A. comedy scene have included Kathy Griffin, Dom Irrera, Chili Challis, Jim Carrey and Jay Leno, none of whom launched their careers in LA. Kathleen "Kathy" Griffin (born November 4, 1960 though not gay herself Griffin has been a voice actress and a Red carpet commentator Domenick Jack Irrera (born 1947 originally from Philadelphia, is a Stand-up comedian. James Eugene Redmond "Jim" Carrey (born January 17 1962 is a Canadian-American Film actor and Comedian. James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno (born April 28 1950 is an Emmy Award -winning American Stand-up comedian and Television host There is a newly burgeoning comedy scene in Los Angeles' North Hollywood and Silverlake areas, which have experienced a large influx of artists over the past decade as the housing costs in West Los Angeles have risen. In the greater Los Angeles area of Pasadena, a prominent comedy night club known as The Ice House has also hosted many famous comedians.

Boston

Although not as big as New York or Los Angeles, Boston has long been considered an important comedy breeding ground in the United States. Boston comics often move to New York or Los Angeles in order to achieve mainstream success. The Boston area has arguably produced more native stand-up comics than New York (although it should be noted that many comics seen as natives actually relocated to Boston as college students from other parts of the country). The Comedy Connection is Boston's largest club and hosts many national headliners. Another club of note is The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square which is generally seen as Boston's premiere underground club. Notable Boston-area comics include Denis Leary, Louis C.K., Lenny Clarke, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Mike Birbiglia, Eugene Mirman, Doug Stanhope, Paula Poundstone, Patrice Oneal, Bill Burr, Nick DiPaolo, Dr. Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is a Golden Globe - and Emmy Award -nominated American Actor, Comedian Louis CK (born Louis Szekely on September 12, 1967 in Washington D Lenny Clarke (born September 16, 1953) is an American Comedian, famous for his thick Boston accent. James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno (born April 28 1950 is an Emmy Award -winning American Stand-up comedian and Television host Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an Emmy Award -winning American Television host and Comedian, best known Mike Birbiglia (Born June 20 1978 is an Italian-American Stand-up comic from Shrewsbury Massachusetts who now resides in New York. Eugene Boris Mirman is a Russian born American comedian writer and film maker who is based in New York City. Douglas Gene Stanhope (born March 25, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian who currently lives in the small U Paula Poundstone (born December 29, 1959 in Huntsville Alabama) is an American stand-up Comedian. Patrice Lumumba Malcolm Oneal (born December 7, 1969) is an American Stand-up comedian, Radio personality, and Actor Bill Burr (aka Billy Burr) is an American Stand-up comedian, born June 10, 1968 in Canton, Massachusetts Nick Di Paolo (born January 31, 1962 in Danvers, Massachusetts) is an Italian-American Stand-up comedian, Writer Octogonapus and Gary Gulman. Gary Lewis Gulman is a Stand-up comedian. He was a finalist on the NBC reality-talent show Last Comic Standing (Season 2 and 3 Many Boston comics have become writers for shows such as Dr. Katz, Home Movies, The Daily Show and The Simpsons. Dr Katz Professional Therapist is an Animated series that originally ran on Comedy Central from May 28 1995 to December 24 1999 starring Jonathan The Daily Show (known in its current incarnation as The Daily Show A number of other comedians born in New Jersey and New York got their start in the clubs of Boston, including Joe Rogan, Steven Wright and Bobcat Goldthwait. Joe Rogan (born August 11 1967) is an American Comedian and Actor best known for his role as Joe Garrelli in Steven Alexander Wright (born December 6 1955) is an American Stand-up comedian, Actor, and Writer. Robert Francis 'Bobcat' Goldthwait (born May 26 1962) is an American Comedian, actor screenwriter and film and television director A documentary film was made in 2003, When Stand Up Stood Out which discusses Boston's role in the comedy boom of the mid to late 1980s.

Detroit

Detroit has been a formidable comedy proving ground for many years. Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, widely regarded as the heart of the city's comedy scene, pioneered the headliner/feature/emcee format which is now the general standard for comedy clubs, and helped launch the successful careers of Tim Allen and Dave Coulier. Tim Allen (born Timothy Allen Dick; June 13, 1953) is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice-over artist and David Lee Coulier (born September 21, 1959) is an American Stand-up comedian, impressionist, and television / Voice Notable Detroit comedians have made appearances on Last Comic Standing, namely J. Chris Newberg and Dave Landau. (Last Comic Standing's season 2 winner John Heffron and Rob Little are from the State of Michigan as well). Last Comic Standing is an American Reality television Talent show that premiered in 2003 John Heffron (born in Detroit Michigan; raised in South Lyon) is an American Stand-up comic. Rob Little is an American Stand-up comedian and Actor from Pinconning Michigan.

San Diego

San Diego is known in the comedy world for launching the careers of many stand-ups. Darren Carter, Charlie Ayers, Mark Brazil, Bobby Lee, Dat Phan, Rick Gene, Fred Burns, Dante, Faison Love, Rene Sandoval, Jamie Foxx, Wild Willie Parsons, Anthony Ramos and Tommy Chun all began their careers in San Diego. Darren Carter is also the name of an English footballer Darren Carter is an American Actor and Stand-up comedian Charlie Ayers is the former executive chef for Google. His work there was widely publicized in the media and David Vise 's corporate history The Google Bobby Lee (born September 17, 1972) is an American Comedian, notable for his membership in the recurring cast of comedians on the live comedy Dat Phan (born January 25, 1975 in Saigon, South Vietnam) is a Vietnamese American Stand-up comedian. Jamie Foxx (born Eric Marlon Bishop; December 13, 1967) is an Academy Award -winning American Actor, Singer

San Francisco

In the 1950s, Mort Sahl revolutionized stand-up comedy and launched his recording career after receiving acclaim for his satirical observational routines at the "hungry i". Morton Lyon Sahl (born May 11, 1927) is a Canadian-born American Comedian and Actor. The hungry i was a legendary San Francisco nightclub operated in the mid-1950s and early 1960s by Enrico Banducci at 599 Jackson Street in the North Beach Stand-up comedy legend Lenny Bruce found a liberal fan base in the city, allowing him to take his act even further. Lenny Bruce (October 13 1925 &ndash August 3 1966 born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was an American Stand-up comedian, Writer, social During the 1980s, San Francisco had nine active comedy clubs, including the Holy City Zoo, The Other Café [2], Cobb's Comedy Club, and The Punchline. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Holy City Zoo was a small but influential comedy club in San Francisco that operated from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s The The Punchline is a Comedy club first opened in 1982 in Sandy Springs Georgia. Many comedians spending time in San Francisco were influenced by the city's liberal intellectual atmosphere: Margaret Cho, Dana Carvey, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Jake Johansen, and more recently, Rob Cantrell (of Last Comic Standing), Arj Barker and Jim Short. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Margaret Cho born Moran Cho She has won awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women Asians and the LGBT community Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an Emmy -award winning American Comedian and Actor known for his work on Jane Anne (Janeane Garofalo (born September 28, 1964) is an American stand-up Comedian, actress, political activist, writer Marc Maron (born September 27, 1963) is an American Stand-up comedian. Jake Johannsen (born 1960 in Iowa City Iowa) is an American comedian Rob Cantrell is an American Comedian. Rob is best known for participating in the 1st and 3rd seasons of NBC 's Reality television show Last Comic Standing is an American Reality television Talent show that premiered in 2003 Arj Barker (born April 18, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian from San Anselmo California. Jim Short is a stand-up comedian from San Francisco. Originally from Australia, he moved to Texas in 1979, however he mostly speaks San Francisco has hosted a separate circuit of gay comedy for many years at clubs like Josie's that produced Scott Capurro,Doug Holsclaw, Mark Davis, Margaret Cho Marga Gomez, and politician Tom Ammiano. Scott A Capurro (born December 10 1962 in San Francisco) is a Stand-up comedian and Writer based in San Francisco and Mark Davis may refer to Entertainers Mark Davis (talk show host, radio talk show host Mark Jonathan Davis, comedian parodist Margaret Cho born Moran Cho She has won awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women Asians and the LGBT community Marga Gomez (b June 19, 1960) is one of the first openly gay Comedians in America. Tom Ammiano (born December 15 1941 is an American politician and LGBT activist from San Francisco California. Recent years have seen a resurgence of San Francisco's place as a "comedy town" partly due to the city's "new wave", consisting of young and edgy alternative comics who have redefined San Francisco comedy. Notable New Wave performers are : Jasper Redd, Brent Weinbach, Louis Katz, Moshe Kasher, Ryan Stout, Jacob and Sherry Sirof, Will Franken, Alex Koll, Kevin Camia, Kris Tinkle, Drennon Davis and many more. Although most of those young comics have since relocated to Los Angeles

Texas

Houston and Dallas have also produced many notable stand-ups, perhaps most famously Sam Kinison and the legendary Bill Hicks of Houston, and Steve Martin, a native of Waco. Samuel "Sam" Burl Kinison ( December 8 1953 &ndash April 10 1992) was an American William Melvin Hicks ( December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian. Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actor, Comedian, Writer, Waco (ˈweɪkoʊ is a city in and the County seat of McLennan County, Texas. In 1959, George Carlin and Jack Burns began as a comedy team when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth. George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12 1937 – June 22 2008 was an American stand-up comedian, often considered one of the best of all time Jack Burns (born November 15, 1933) is an American Comedian and voice actor. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. Austin has a thriving stand-up comedy scene with the comedy clubs Capital City Comedy and The Velveeta Room, as well as the vaudeville-style show Esther's Follies. Esther's Follies is a modern day Vaudeville theatre located on 6th Street in downtown Austin Texas. Others would include Ron White and Bill Engvall. Ron White (born December 18, 1956) is a Grammy Award -nominated American stand-up comedian from Fritch Texas. Bill Engvall (born July 27[[ 957]] in Galveston Texas) is an American comedian best known for his work as a stand-up comic and as a member of

Washington, DC

A number of comedians have started their stand-up careers in Washington, DC. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Notable examples include as Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence, Patton Oswalt,Wanda Sykes, Tommy Davidson and Henry Rollins. David Khari Webber Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is an American Comedian, Screenwriter, television / Film producer, and Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence (born April 16, 1965) is an American Actor, Comedian, director and producer. Patton Oswalt (born January 27 1969) is an American Stand-up comedian, voiceover artist and Actor. Wanda Sykes (born March 7, 1964) also known as Wanda Sykes-Hall, is an Emmy award -winning American stand-up comedian Tommy Davidson (born November 10, 1965) is an American film and television Actor. Henry Rollins (born February 13 1961 as Henry Lawrence Garfield) is an American singer-songwriter Spoken word Artist, Stand-up comedian, author

Atlanta

In Atlanta, Georgia, some famous comedians include Jeff Foxworthy, Bruce Bruce, David Cross, Brett Butler, and Nipsey Russell. Jeff Foxworthy (born September 6, 1958) is an American Stand-up comedian and Actor. Brett Butler may refer to Brett Butler (comedian, American actress and comedienne Brett Butler (baseball, American major league professional Julius "Nipsey" Russell ( September 15, 1918 – October 2, 2005) was an American Comedian, best known today

St. Louis

In St.Louis Missouri,some famous comedians include Cedric the Entertainer, Phyllis Diller, Kathleen Madigan, Randy and Jason Sklar, and John Heffron

Canada

Canada has a rich comedy history and is well known for its talent, though most famous Canadian comics became noteworthy after moving to the United States (such as Jim Carrey, Russell Peters, Mike Myers, Howie Mandel, Jeremy Hotz, Harland Williams) and more recently, after moving to the United Kingdom (such as Derek Edwards, Mike Wilmot). Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964) best known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American Actor and Bold text Phyllis Diller (born Phyllis Driver, July 17, 1917) is a Golden Globe -nominated American comedienne Kathleen Madigan (born September 30, 1965, in Florissant MO, USA) is an American Comedian. Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar (born January 12, 1972) are Identical twin American comedians John Heffron (born in Detroit Michigan; raised in South Lyon) is an American Stand-up comic. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the James Eugene Redmond "Jim" Carrey (born January 17 1962 is a Canadian-American Film actor and Comedian. Russell Dominic Peters (born September 28 1970 is a Canadian Stand-up comic, and Actor of Indian descent Michael John "Mike" Myers (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter and Film producer Howie Michael Mandel II (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian Stand-up comedian, Television host, and Actor. Jeremy Hotz (born May 31, 1962 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a Canadian actor and Stand-up comedian. Harland Michael Williams (born November 14, 1962, He attended but dropped out of Sheridan College, and worked as a Forest ranger for five The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Derek Edwards is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor In 1995 he was the winner of the Vail National Comedy Invitational in Vail, Colorado. Mike Wilmot is a Canadian born stand-up Comedian. He has also appeared on many British TV shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Some well known Canadian comics working in Canada include Brent Butt (of CTV's Corner Gas), Winston Spear, Gerry Dee (known in the United States from NBC's Last Comic Standing), Stewart Francis and Nikki Payne. Brent Butt (born August 3, 1966 in Tisdale Saskatchewan) is a Canadian Stand-up comedian actor and writer CTV is a Canadian English language Television network. It is Canada's largest privately owned network the main television asset of CTVglobemedia Corner Gas is a Canadian Television sitcom created by Brent Butt and airing on CTV and in the United States on WGN Winston Spear is a Canadian Stand-up comedian and actor from Toronto Ontario Gerry Dee (born December 31, 1968) is a Canadian Stand-up comedian. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Last Comic Standing is an American Reality television Talent show that premiered in 2003 Nikki Payne is a Canadian comedian and actress from Lower Sackville Nova Scotia Canada Canada is well known as a hotbed for improvisational comedy (Second City Toronto, Bad Dog Theatre, Loose Moose Theatre) and sketch comedy (Wayne and Shuster, Bizarre, SCTV, Kids in the Hall, Sketch Comedy Lounge, SNL producer Lorne Michaels). Improvisational theatre (also known as improv or impro) is a form of Theatre in which the Actors use Improvisational acting techniques The Loose Moose Theatre Company (LMTC was co-founded in 1977 by Keith Johnstone and Mel Token Sketch comedy consists of a series of short Comedy scenes or vignettes called "sketches" commonly between one and ten minutes long Wayne and Shuster were a Canadian comedy duo formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster which was active professionally from the early 1940s until The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian Sketch comedy group formed in 1984 consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Toronto's most popular Alternative comedy show It runs every Monday at The Rivoli (where The Kids in the Hall frequently performed and began in the 1990s Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Lorne Michaels (born November 17, 1944) is a Canadian -American Emmy -winning television producer,

Toronto

Toronto, Ontario is Canada's largest comedy hub, with many stand-up clubs, including Absolute Comedy and Yuk-Yuks as well as alternative comedy rooms and open mics like The ALTdot COMedy Lounge, not to mention sketch and improv venues such as Second City and Sketch Comedy Lounge. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Yuk Yuk's is a national Comedy club chain in Canada, owned and established by former stand-up comedian Mark Breslin. Toronto's most popular Alternative comedy show It runs every Monday at The Rivoli (where The Kids in the Hall frequently performed and began in the 1990s Toronto's most popular Alternative comedy show It runs every Monday at The Rivoli (where The Kids in the Hall frequently performed and began in the 1990s Д

Montreal

Montreal, Quebec is another comedy hub. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The city does not have many clubs (especially for English-only audiences) but is home to the world's largest comedy festival, Just for Laughs. Just for Laughs (in French Juste pour rire) is a Comedy festival held each July in

Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia is widely considered Canada's western comedy hub, and has been home to many well known Canadian comedians (including Butt, Irwin Barker and Will Sasso). Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Irwin Barker is a Canadian comedian and writer He has written for This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Rick Mercer Report, and has been Will Sasso (born May 24, 1975) is a Canadian Comedian and Actor. It is also home of the Vancouver Comedy Festival. The city is currently experiencing a renaissance in alternative comedy. Alternative comedy is a style of Comedy that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and 1980s which would eventually go on to become mainstream in the

Influences

Canadian comedy is largely influenced by American comedy trends. The success of many Canadian comics in the United States might be attributed to their "outsider's perspectives".

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has a long and rich heritage of standup comedians, which continues to this day. Anh Do Anthony Mir Big Al Brendon Burns Carl Barron

British stand-up comedy began in the music halls of the 18th and 19th centuries. Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Notable performers who rose through the music hall circuit were Morecambe and Wise, Arthur Askey and Max Miller, who was considered to be the quintessential music-hall comedian. Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, were a British comic Double act, working in variety, radio Film Arthur Bowden Askey CBE ( June 6, 1900 &ndash November 16, 1982) was a prominent English Comedian. Max Miller ( November 21[[ 894]] – May 7[[ 963]] the "Cheeky Chappie" was a 1930s English Music hall Comedian famous The heavy censorship regime of the Lord Chamberlain's Office required all comedians to submit their acts for censorship. The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Household. The act would be returned with unacceptable sections underlined in blue pencil (possibly giving rise to the term "blue" for a comedian whose act is considered bawdy or smutty). The comedian was then obliged not to deviate from the act in its edited form. ^[1]

At the end of World War II, many members of the Armed Forces who had developed a taste for comedy (stand-up or otherwise) in wartime concert parties, and moved into professional entertainment. Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers and the other Goons, and Tommy Cooper all began their careers this way. Eric Sykes, CBE (born 4 May 1923 is an English comedy writer and actor Richard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers ( 8 September 1925 &ndash 24 July 1980) was a British The Goon Show was a British Radio comedy programme originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960 Tommy Cooper ( 19 March 1921 &ndash 15 April 1984) was an Anglo-Welsh Prop comedian and magician. The rise of the postwar comedians coincided with the rise of television and radio, and the traditional music hall circuit suffered greatly as a result. Whereas a music hall performer could work for years using just one act, television exposure created a constant demand for new material, although this may have also been responsible for the cessation of theatrical censorship in 1968.

By the 1970s, music hall entertainment was virtually dead. Alternative circuits had evolved, such as Working Mens' Clubs. Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of Great Britain, particularly the North of England ^[2] Some of the more successful comedians on the Working Men's Club circuit - including Bernard Manning, Bobby Thompson, Frank Carson and Stan Boardman - eventually made their way to television via such shows as The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. Bernard John Manning (13 August 1930 &ndash 18 June 2007 was an English stand-up comedian. Bobby Thompson ( 18 November 1911 – 16 April 1988[http //icnewcastle Frank Carson (born 6 November 1926, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish Comedian and Actor Stan Boardman (born 7 Dec 1940 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is an English comedian The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club was a British television variety show made by Granada Television in the mid 1970s The "alternative" comedy scene also began to evolve. Some of the earliest successes came from folk clubs, where performers such as Billy Connolly, Mike Harding and Jasper Carrott started as relatively straight musical acts whose between-song banter developed into complete comedy routines. A Folk club is a regular event permanent venue or section of a venue devoted to Folk music and Traditional music. Billy Connolly, CBE (born William Connolly Jr on 24 November, 1942) is a Scottish Mike Harding (born 23 October 1944) is an English Singer, Comedian, Author, Poet and broadcaster. Jasper Carrott OBE (born Robert Norman Davis, March 14 1945) is an English comedian (declaring himself "world famous in The 1960s had also seen the satire boom, including the creation of The Establishment (club), which, amongst other things, gave British audiences their first taste of extreme American stand-up comedy from Lenny Bruce. The Establishment was a London Nightclub which opened in October 1961 at 18 Greek Street, Soho and was famous in retrospect for satire although Lenny Bruce (October 13 1925 &ndash August 3 1966 born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was an American Stand-up comedian, Writer, social ^[3]

In 1979, the first American-style stand-up comedy club, the Comedy Store, London was opened in London by Peter Rosengard, where many alternative comedy stars of the 1980s, such as Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Alexei Sayle, Lee Evans, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson began their careers. The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England that was opened in 1979 by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957 is a Welsh actress and Comedian. Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958 is a BAFTA and Emmy Award -winning English Comedian, Screenwriter and actress Alexei David Sayle (born 7 August 1952 is an English Comedian, Actor and Author. Lee Evans (born 25 February, 1964) is an award winning British stand-up comedian and Actor. Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March, 1958) is an English Actor, Writer and Comedian. Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957 is an English Actor, Comedian, director and Writer ^[4] The stand-up comedy circuit rapidly expanded from London into the provinces. The present British stand-up comedy circuit arose from the 'alternative' comedy revolution of the 1980s, with political and observational humour being the prominent styles to flourish. In 1983 young drama teacher Maria Kempinska created Jongleurs Comedy Clubs, now the largest Stand Up Comedy chain in Europe. Jongleurs is a chain of sixteen Comedy clubs in the United Kingdom, established in 1983.

The UK is often considered the stand-up centre of the world, due to the ease with which a comic can make a living. In America or Canada, cities are either situated too far apart, or comedy clubs too few in number for a comedian to make a proper living solely from stand-up. In the UK, however, a city typically has at least three or four venues where comedy is regularly performed, and travel between each city is not very arduous. The appeal of the UK as a base for international comics is evident by a huge increase in the number shows at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, which this year hosted over 700 comedy shows. The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival.

Australia

Australia has a thriving stand-up comedy scene, with comedy clubs in most major cities staging events featuring professional comedians, and nurturing and promoting new talent through open mic nights. A comedy club is a venue typically a Nightclub, where people watch or listen to performances including Stand-up comedians improvisational Comedians, An open mike or open mic (or open spots) is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone

Some of Australia's most famous stand-up comedians in the past have included Steady Eddie, and 'blue' comedian Rodney Rude. Steady Eddy is the stage name of Christopher Widdows, an Australian comedian and actor with Cerebral palsy. Blue comedy is comedy that is Off-color, risqué, Indecent, Profane, or Obscene[http //www Rodney Rude (born Rodney Keft in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian ' blue ' Stand-up comedian More recently, comedians such as Dave Hughes,Tahir Bilgic, and Adam Hills have come to the fore. David William "Hughesy" Hughes (born 26 November 1970) is an Australian stand-up comedian, Radio and Television Tahir Bilgiç (born December 12 1970) is an Australian comedian of Turkish descent Adam Hills (born July 10 1970 is a Perrier and Gold Logie -nominated Australian Comedian and Television presenter. A more extensive listing of notable Australian comedians can be found in the article list of stand-up comedians. Anh Do Anthony Mir Big Al Brendon Burns Carl Barron

Each year, the City of Melbourne, Victoria hosts the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF is held each April in a number of venues across Melbourne, Victoria, Australia According to its official website, the festival aims to showcase local talent, bring international comedians to Australian audiences and nurture and develop new performers. [3] The festival holds events such as Raw Comedy, a prestigious open mic competition for amateur comedians, as well as MICF Class Clowns, an event for aspiring comedians who are between the ages of 14 and 17 [4]. Raw Comedy is an Australian competition for emerging stand-up comedians, established in 1996 and held annually since A number of smaller festivals are also held around the country.

Several comedians who began their careers in stand-up went on to achieve fame in other media, such as film, radio and television. Notable successes include Rove McManus (television), Eric Bana (film), Jimeoin (film and television), Tahir Bilgic (television), Wil Anderson (radio & television) and Adam Hills (television). Rove McManus (born John McManus II Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinovich; 9 August 1968 is an Australian Film and Television Actor. Jimeoin McKeown, who goes under the name Jimeoin (born January 24 1966) is an Irish actor and stand-up comedian who made his name in Australia Tahir Bilgiç (born December 12 1970) is an Australian comedian of Turkish descent William James (Wil Anderson (born 31 January, 1974) is an Australian Comedian, performing stand-up as well as on Television Adam Hills (born July 10 1970 is a Perrier and Gold Logie -nominated Australian Comedian and Television presenter.

Spain

An Irish festival called El Feile in Barcelona first introduced professional English language stand-up comedy to Spain in 2004 with the legendary ¨Best of Irish comedy Special¨, which in turn led to the formation of The Giggling Guiri in 2005. Now firmly established as the top club in the country, The Giggling Guiri presents headline shows at least once a month in Madrid and Barcelona. The club hosts some of the best in international acts regularly featuring the stronger 'Edinburgh Fringe' shows.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, stand-up comedy is translated to Cantonese as Tung Tuk Shiau (棟篤笑), Tung Tuk meaning "standing alone" and Shiau meaning "laughter". Standard Cantonese is the standard variant of the Cantonese (Yuet language The colloquial Cantonese translation was first introduced by Dayo Wong Tze Wah in 1990, when stand-up comedy was quite new to the Chinese community. Dayo Wong Chi-Wah ( born September 5, 1960, is a Hong Kong Actor, Comedian, Singer and Screenwriter.

Michael Hui is said to be the first famous Hong Kong performer similar to a stand-up comedian. Michael Hui Koon-Man ( Chinese 許冠文 Jyutping: heoi2 gun3 man4 Pinyin: Xǔ Guànwén (born September 3, 1942) is a But it was actually Dayo Wong who started doing stand-up as a complete two hour show. Dayo Wong Chi-Wah ( born September 5, 1960, is a Hong Kong Actor, Comedian, Singer and Screenwriter. The popularity of Hong Kong stand-up has been on the rise, thanks to more than a decade of effort by various performers. Stand-up acts can now be seen in Mainland China, especially by those who understand Cantonese. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction

Some people believe Tung Tuk Shiau is not a new performance art in China, but rather an alternate form of Xiangsheng. Xiangsheng ( sometimes translated as crosstalk, is a traditional Chinese comedic performance in the form of a Dialogue or much less often But Xiangsheng focuses on making people laugh without delivering an in-depth message behind the humour. Xiangsheng ( sometimes translated as crosstalk, is a traditional Chinese comedic performance in the form of a Dialogue or much less often

In February 2007, Jami Gong opened the first full-time comedy club in Asia, known as The TakeOut Comedy Shop Hong Kong [5]. The club features both English and Cantonese-speaking comics.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, stand-up comedy (clearly influenced by British and American stand-up) is quite popular, and was first successfully introduced in Holland by Raoul Heertje, who, after performing very successfully in England and the United States, founded the Dutch comedy collective known as Comedytrain, as well as cabaret. Raoul Heertje ( Bussum, 1963 is a Dutch Comedian. The notable International appearances he made were in the tv-shows of Ruby Wax Clive James Comedytrain was the first Stand-up comedy collective in The Netherlands.

Cabaret, as it is known in Holland, is based on what is called a "conference", which is comparable to a stand-up routine except that it is generally one or two hours long and might contain songs, music and other diversions. (The star performer is commonly called a "cabaretier"). There is a decades-long tradition of New Year's Eve "conferences", a custom started by Wim Kan. New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. Other famous former cabaretiers include Toon Hermans and Wim Sonneveld. Antoine G T "Toon" Hermans ( December 17, 1916 – April 22, 2000) was a noted Dutch Comedian, Singer General notes to people who want to improve the article regarding translation of terms Names I translated some for which an easy translation popped in my head The most famous cabaretier today is Freek de Jonge, who, in the tradition of Wim Kan, makes it a point to ridicule politicians. Frederik Jan Georg "Freek" de Jonge (born 30 August 1944) is a Dutch Cabaret performer In 2006, he held a political conference the night before the national elections. The 2006 Dutch general elections were held in the Netherlands on Wednesday November 22, 2006, and followed the call for new elections after

Stand-up comedy has brought forward a number of very famous younger "cabaretiers", such as Hans Teeuwen, Theo Maassen, Hans Sibbel and Najib Amhali, amongst many others. Hans Eduard Marie Teeuwen (born March 3 1967 in Budel, The Netherlands) is a Dutch Comedian, Actor and Theodorus Wilhelmus (Theo Maassen (born 8 December 1966 in Oegstgeest, Zuid-Holland) is a Dutch comedian and Actor Najib Amhali (born April 4, 1971 in Nador) is a Moroccan-born Dutch Stand-up comedian and Actor. In 2007, a new comedy collective was founded by the Comedytrain, known as The Amsterdam Underground Comedy Collective, which was established to allow and train Dutch comedians to perform in English. Comedytrain was the first Stand-up comedy collective in The Netherlands. The AUCC will have its first major gig during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the Tron. The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival.

Germany

Germany learned to appreciate American style stand-up comedy relatively late. To some extent, German comedy had been dominated by a form of political cabaret, where routines are carefully-rehearsed, politically-oriented and relatively highbrow (with a few exceptions being the comedians Heinz Erhardt, Otto Waalkes and Helge Schneider). Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring Comedy, Song, Dance, and Theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue &mdash a Restaurant Heinz Erhardt ( February 20, 1909 in Riga – June 5, 1979 in Hamburg) was a German comedian musician entertainer Otto Gerhard Waalkes (born July 22, 1948 in Emden, Germany) is a German comedian and actor Helge Schneider (born August 30, 1955 in Mülheim an der Ruhr) is a German Comedian, Jazz Musician, The typical American stand-up style did not really take root in Germany until the 1990s, when German expatriate workers imported the comic style from the United States when they returned from overseas. The first notable stand-up comedy club in Germany was the Quatsch Comedy Club, founded in 1992 in Hamburg by Thomas Hermanns. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Thomas Hermanns (b 5 March, 1963) is a German TV-moderator director TV-author and comedian The popularity of stand-up is still growing in Germany, as evidenced by the success of shows such as Nightwash (originally a standup show performed in a Cologne laundromat, and started by Klaus-Juergen "Knacki" Deuser), and the Quatsch Comedy Club, which were acquired by television, first by terrestrial broadcasters, then the satellite channels (including a German version of Comedy Central). Comedy Central is an American Cable television and Satellite television channel that carries predominantly Comedy programming

English-speaking stand-up

German humour has been influenced by the proliferation of English-language comedy shows in Germany, where English and American comedians perform in their native tongues. Shows such as Hollywood's Comedy Nights in Cologne and Bonn and the English Comedy Club in Munich originally started by catering to the large English-speaking expatriate population of the three cities, and have gained a further foothold due to the high percentage of native Germans who speak English as a second language. Hollywood's Comedy Nights is the name of an English-language Stand-up comedy show in Cologne, Germany Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany.

Festivals

Germany features a number of comedy festivals, including the Cologne Comedy Festival, which is in part sponsored by RTL. The Cologne Comedy Festival is an international festival of comedy held in Cologne, Germany every year since 1991 RTL Group ( is Europe's largest TV radio and production company and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Due to Cologne's status as a "Media Town", the festival attracts both national and international comedy acts. The festival has been held every October since 1991, and is considered one of the largest of its kind in Mainland Europe. [6] The German Comedy Prize is presented as part of the festival.

Comedy festivals

Stand-up comedy is the focus of four major international festivals: the Edinburgh Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland; Just for Laughs in Montreal, Canada; HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and a number of other festivals, most prominently The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, the Vancouver Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy and Film Festival, the New York Underground Film Festival and the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland. The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Just for Laughs (in French Juste pour rire) is a Comedy festival held each July in Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The Comedy Festival formerly known as the US Comedy Arts Festival is a Comedy Festival held each year in Las Vegas Nevada. The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF is held each April in a number of venues across Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 The Comedy Festival formerly known as the US Comedy Arts Festival is a Comedy Festival held each year in Las Vegas Nevada. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Founded in 1994 by filmmakers Todd Phillips (Road Trip Old School and Andrew Gurland the New York Underground Film Festival occurs each March at Anthology Film Archives The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival is a Comedy Festival held each year in Kilkenny, Ireland Kilkenny, ( is a city and county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Radio hosts Opie and Anthony also produce a comedy tour called Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour, featuring their own co-host, Jim Norton (comedian) as well as several other stand-up comedians regularly featured on their radio show. Opie ( Gregg Hughes, born May 23, 1963) Anthony ( Anthony Cumia, born April 26, 1961) and Jim Jim Norton (born July 19, 1968) is an American Stand-up comedian, Radio personality, Author, and Actor. The festival format has proven quite successful at attracting attention to the art of stand-up, and is often used as a scouting and proving ground by industry professionals seeking new comedic talent.

Other media

Many of the earliest vaudeville-era stand-ups gained their greater recognition on radio. They often opened their programs with topical monologues, characterized by ad-libs and discussions about anything from the latest films to a missed birthday. Each program tended to be divided into the opening monologue, musical number, followed by a skit or story routine. Their guests were varied and included other comedians, including Burns and Allen. Burns and Allen, an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife Gracie Allen, worked together as a comedy team A "feud" between Fred Allen and Jack Benny was used as comic material for nearly a decade. Fred Allen (born John Florence Sullivan May 31 1894 - March 17, 1956) was an American Comedian whose absurdist Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky February 14, 1894 - December 26, 1974) was an American Comedian, vaudevillian

HBO (which, for the first time, presented comedians uncensored), beginning with Robert Klein in 1975, was instrumental in reaching larger audiences. Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American Stand-up comedian and Actor.

Continuing that tradition, most modern stand-up comedians use television or motion pictures to reach a level of success and recognition unattainable in the comedy club circuit alone. Examples of such performers include Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Jon Stewart, Kathy Griffin, Ray Romano, Dave Chappelle, and Jeff Dunham. Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; December 1 1935 is an American Film director, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born on April 29 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian actor and writer George Robert "Bob" Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American stand-up comedian and Actor. William Henry Cosby Jr (born July 12 1937 is an American Comedian, Actor, Author, Television producer and Activist. Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence (born April 16, 1965) is an American Actor, Comedian, director and producer. Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3 1961 is an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American Comedian, Actor, Screenwriter, Television Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26 1958 is an eleven time Emmy Award -winning American stand-up comedian, Television host and actress Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance James Eugene Redmond "Jim" Carrey (born January 17 1962 is a Canadian-American Film actor and Comedian. Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28 1962 is an American Comedian, Satirist, Actor, Writer, and Kathleen "Kathy" Griffin (born November 4, 1960 though not gay herself Griffin has been a voice actress and a Red carpet commentator Raymond "Ray" Romano (born December 21 1957) is an American Actor, Writer and Stand-up comedian, best known David Khari Webber Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is an American Comedian, Screenwriter, television / Film producer, and Jeff Dunham (born 1960 in Dallas Texas) is an American Ventriloquist and stand-up comedian

Examples in the UK include Bob Hope, Jim Davidson, Lenny Henry, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Victoria Wood, Peter Kay, Ross Noble and more recently Billy Connolly, Dylan Moran, Russell Brand and Bill Bailey. Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Jim Davidson OBE (born Cameron James Davidson on 13 December 1953 is an English Comedian, TV presenter and actor Lenworth George Henry CBE, (born 29 August 1958 is a British Writer, Comedian and Actor. Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957 is a Welsh actress and Comedian. Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958 is a BAFTA and Emmy Award -winning English Comedian, Screenwriter and actress Victoria Wood CBE (born 19 May 1953 in Prestwich, Lancashire) is a BAFTA award winning English Comedian Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973 in Farnworth, Lancashire, England) is an English Comedian, Writer, producer Ross Markham Noble (born 5 June 1976) is an English Stand-up comedian, raised in Cramlington, Northumberland. Billy Connolly, CBE (born William Connolly Jr on 24 November, 1942) is a Scottish Dylan Moran (born 3 November 1971) is a BAFTA and Perrier Award -winning Irish Comedian, Actor and Russell Edward Brand (born June 4 1975 is a British Comedian, Actor, Columnist and a Presenter of Radio and Mark Bailey where he was initially an academic pupil winning most of the prizes

See also

• List of stand-up comedians
• List of musical comedians
• Improvisational theatre
• Situation comedy
• Rakugo – Japanese verbal entertainment
• Manzai – style of stand-up comedy in Japan
• Open mike – live show where audience members may perform at the microphone

References

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