The Comedy Hole: English Standup in Europe

Syrian comedian Badr Laffar (@badr.comedy) joins Ariel (@ariel.bialski) and Jordan (@jordanthomasgray) to discuss truth in standup. How much of a standup story has to be true, if any? Can you lie about surviving 9/11 if it gets laughs? Does it matter that Bo Burnham was living with his girlfriend and dog while filming Inside? Does Ariel have diarrhea? The gang tackles these questions and many others in this titillating new episode. The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland. The Comedy Hole hosts standup open mics on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Warsaw, and we also produce standup shows in English all over Europe. In addition to standup, Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) DJs every week in Warsaw. Follow his instagram to find out about the next show. Jordan is touring all over Poland and Europe forever. Upcoming shows include Warsaw, Ghent, Amsterdam, Krakow, Gdańsk, Lublin, Odense, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Dublin, Białystok, Łódź, Toruń, Zielona Góra, Szczecin, Wrocław, and more. Get tickets here: https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray

On this especially strange, meandering episode of The Comedy Hole Podcast, Andrzej Sosnowski (@comedyandy) joins Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) and Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray) to have a wide-ranging conversation about the delicate issue of mental health in standup comedy. We are not mental health professionals - we are comedians - so please ignore this entire episode if you are looking for advice on mental health. Nothing feels better to a comic than a fantastic set, and nothing feels worse than an epic bomb. When writing new material, comedians typically have to endure a lot of bombing to work out even a small amount of reliable, polished material. This push and pull cycle of on-stage success and failure has a way of exacerbating underlying (or overt) mental health conditions, and it's unfortunately a common occurrence for comedians to have a psychological break, especially in the open mic circuit. The gang makes several attempts to talk about this problem, but mostly they get distracted and talk about other stuff. The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland. The Comedy Hole hosts standup open mics on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Warsaw, and we also produce standup shows in English all over Europe. In addition to standup, Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) DJs every week in Warsaw. Follow his instagram to find out about the next show.Jordan is touring all over Poland and Europe forever. Upcoming shows include Warsaw, Ghent, Amsterdam, Krakow, Gdańsk, Lublin, Odense, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Dublin, Białystok, Łódź, Toruń, Zielona Góra, Szczecin, and Wrocław. Get tickets here: https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray

This week, Ariel (@arielbialski) and Jordan (@jordanthomasgray) are joined by Pavlok CEO, viral hacker, and budding standup comedian Maneesh Sethi (@maneesh) to talk about open mics, Maneesh's Shark Tank appearance, Jordan's worst comedy song ("I Can't Stop Watching YouTube"), and the nuances of joke theft. Yes, Jordan and Ariel fight again in this one! Maneesh Sethi is an American entrepreneur and CEO of Pavlok, a wearable device that shocks the user to achieve desirable behavioral changes. Pavlok was featured in the 2022 Neil Brennan Netflix standup special "Blocks." Maneesh has been in the public eye numerous times, including that time he hired a woman to follow him around and slap him in the face whenever he stopped writing, that time he became a famous DJ in under 90 days using viral growth hacks, and also that time in 2022 when he turned down a $500k investment deal on the American TV show Shark Tank. The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland. The Comedy Hole hosts standup open mics on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Warsaw, and we also produce standup shows in English all over Europe. In addition to standup, Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) DJs every week in Warsaw. Follow his instagram to find out about the next show. Jordan is touring all over Poland and Europe forever. Get tickets here: https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray

This week Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) and Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray) discuss the journey from 0 to general competence in standup, and going from absolute beginners at open mics to hosting shows, performing at showcases, and touring. Topics discussed: Learning from bombs Using open mics to work on material Riffing when in a flow state on stage Turning moments of inspiration into full bits Editing jokes and tightening bits Connecting bits to create longer sets The link between music and standup Trying out new material in solo shows while touring Analyzing the material of top level comedians Writing in the shower The Comedy Hole hosts open mics in English in Warsaw on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. We also produce English language comedy shows all over Europe. Check out our linktree for upcoming shows! https://linktr.ee/thecomedyhole Jordan is touring all over Poland and Europe forever. Next shows include Warsaw, Sczcecin, Białystok, Wrocław, Bydgoszcz, Lodz, Lublin, and Krakow. Get tickets here: https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland.

Beatrice (@beatricerossano) is back from her tour! This week Bea, Jordan (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel (@arielbialski) are joined by Polish comedian and cringe powerhouse Kamil Maleszyk (@kamil.maleszyk) to talk about style, stage presence, and making the audience uncomfortable as a standup tactic.  Kamil hosts and participates in shows all over Warsaw and the rest of Poland, so give him a follow on the ol' instagram to catch him on stage!  https://instagram.com/kamil.maleszyk ANNOUNCEMENT: Starting March 22, Wednesday 8PM Comedy Hole open mics will be held at Gatsby Warsaw in Elektrownia Powisle. March 15th will be the last open mic at Klar until outdoor shows resume in the Spring. Thanks Klar for an amazing year! We're excited to move out of the hole into a larger space, but we'll always have those hole memories!  Beatrice will now be hosting monthly standup & Burlesque shows at Rakieta. Keep track of The Comedy Hole's instagram (@thecomedyhole) or Linktree to see when the next show is! https://linktr.ee/thecomedyhole Jordan is touring all over Poland and Europe forever. Get tickets here: https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland.

Put on your boxing gloves and square up for a tempestuously turbulent episode of The Comedy Hole Podcast! This week, Warsaw comedy veteran, crowd favorite, and all-around very funny guy Gaweł Feliga (@gawelf) joins Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) and Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray) for a discussion about comedy, comedy, comedy, and...some other stuff. Jordan is writing this description and he wasn't listening during the recording, so he doesn't really know what was discussed.  Stick around until the end for some JUICY interpersonal drama between Jordan and Ariel. Will The Comedy Hole Podcast collapse into chaos without Beatrice (@beatricerossano)? Will Jordan and Ariel get married? Will Gaweł go back in time to hand Martin Luther King Jr. a Pepsi? Only one way to find out! Gaweł has performed standup comedy for longer than he'd care to admit in both English and Polish. You might know Gaweł from Comedy Central Poland, or maybe from his hit podcasts "Did You Get That?" and "Nagrałeś to?!" Here are some things the gang discusses: Gaweł comments on Jordan and Ariel's masculine physiques Who are Laurel & Hardy? ADHD & Polish sausages #methree Ariel gets angry Which mental disability does Jordan have? What's it like to bomb in two languages? Why doesn't Jordan ever listen and doesn't Jordan appreciate how much time it takes for Ariel to edit this podcast? What's it like to perform on Comedy Central Poland? Do comics need a union? How to negotiate absurd venue fees when booking solo shows (just use a free venue) Ariel gets even angrier Gaweł's pet peeves at open mics How has standup in Poland changed over the last 10 years? Ariel gets angrier than ever and cures racism! Gaweł talks about his first English open mic experience in Seattle Should comedians ever pay to perform at open mics? Is capitalism bad? A shocking resolution that ties the whole episode together! Listen to Gaweł's podcast "Did You Get That?" (in English) here: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/did-you-get-that/id1591294683 Gaweł's podcast "Nagrałeś to?!" (in Polish) is here: https://www.nagralesto.pl/ Watch some of Gaweł's standup here: https://www.youtube.com/@GaweF Find out more about Laurel and Hardy here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_and_Hardy Jordan is touring all over Portugal, Spain, and The Netherlands in the next 60 days. Get tickets here: https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray Beatrice is also touring all over Europe with Jimmy Pepperoni (@filippospreafico)! Find tickets here: https://linktr.ee/thecomedyhole The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland.

"Don't f*** with the universe...No matter how good you are, standup has a way of tuning down your ego to exactly where it needs to be." - Filip Brymora Ciao guys! This week, the insightful Polish standup comedian Filip Brymora (@filipbrymora) joins Jordan & Ariel to get metaphysical and talk about flow states in comedy, opening in arenas for the most famous comedian in Poland, radical acceptance, and the process of filming a standup special. Filip has been featured on Comedy Central and routinely shares the stage with the biggest names in Polish comedy such as Rafał Pacześ, Peter Szumowski, Cezary Jurkiewicz, and Janek Pierogi. He also has a master's degree in European Law and a killer joke about mosquitos. See Filip's brand new Polish standup special "Happy" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlWH8059Q2s Listen to Filip's podcast "Macie Czasami Tak?" here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1874751 Beatrice is in Italy for the next few weeks, but she loves you and she'll be back soon! The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland.

Beatrice, Ariel, and a very tired Jordan get together to discuss touring! Jordan is fresh off his 7-city "Why Poland?!" tour and the gang discusses all that goes into setting up, marketing, and executing on a profitable solo standup comedy tour. We also have a special guest named Charlie at the top of the show, but don't worry he doesn't stick around for long! BIG NEWS: The Comedy Hole will be performing at the Brighton Fringe Festival on May 28-31 2023! The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland. To discuss setting up your own tour, contact Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano).

"It's painful to be polite." Zimbabwean crowd favorite Zingalingadingdong (@they_call_me_zinger) joins The Comedy Hole gang to discuss growing up in Zimbabwe during economic and political turmoil, learning from the worst standup sets to build the best standup sets, how to bomb with dignity, and whether or not Jordan is an ageless comedy robot. Stick around for the second half for a discussion about setting up and promoting a solo standup tour! Zinger will be performing a 30 minute set at Barzar Klub in Warsaw on November 4th - don't miss it! Get tickets to Zinger's show on November 4th: https://facebook.com/events/s/out-of-the-box-party-warszawa-/1157758925123928/ Get tickets to Jordan's "Why Poland?!" tour in Wrocław, Lublin, and Warsaw (more cities being added soon!): https://linktr.ee/jordanthomasgray The Comedy Hole (@thecomedyhole) is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland. Also in this episode: ● A monkey steals Zinger's orange in Zimbabwe. ● Zinger doesn't know what chairs are. ● Trevor Noah's influence on young African comedians. ● Dropping out of university to pursue standup comedy. ● Whether it's possible for Zinger to make a good joke about vaginal odor. ● Developing a stage presence and how presence affects standup performances. ● The Blue Ocean Strategy as applied to standup comedy. ● Beatrice is very young and the only Italian woman that has ever done standup comedy in English (everyone knows that)! ● Jordan gives an update on his "Why Poland?!" tour. ● The folly and ecstasy of touring a one hour standup special after doing comedy for only one year. ● In an incredible twist, Ariel brags FOR JORDAN! ● The joy of laughing at other comedians while they bomb. ● The gang addresses Beatrice's recent hyperactive stage glitches. ● Terry, Terry, Terry, Terry!

Madonna mia! That's a spicy Jimmy Pepperoni!!! The Comedy Hole gang reports live (at the time) from an AirBnB in Rome, Italy (yes - specifically that Rome) with acclaimed Berlin-based Italian comedian and highly trained clown Filippo Spreafico (@filippospreafico). Filippo joined Beatrice, Jordan, and Ariel on a mini Italian tour for a couple of raucous standup comedy shows in Napoli and Rome. In this episode, Jordan gives Filippo a brand new name motivated only by affection, Ariel grills Filippo on whether the source of all conflict in Filippo's life is - in fact - Filippo, and Bea does her best to glue the whole shebang together without offending our guest! It's a WILD episode of The Comedy Hole that is sure to haunt all of us for years to come! Ciao grazie! The Comedy Hole is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland. Filippo's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filippospreafico Filippo's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-AFP50l42c22KlWo3r6moQ

Belarusian comedian and general mischief-maker Terry Marinich (@terrificcomedian and @comedyperiferal) joins The Comedy Hole Gang to discuss Belarusian dating habits, how war and turmoil have affected the Eastern European comedy scene, and that time he went to prison for 45 days for making a viral video critical of the Belarusian president. We touch on Slava Komisarenko (@slavakomissarenko) a famous - and super nice! - Belarusian comedian wanted by the Belarusian government who has been popping up and killing at The Comedy Hole open mics. We also discuss whether or not Bill Burr is funny, whether or not Bo Burnham is funny, and whether or not Jordan is funny. The Comedy Hole is run by Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray), and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) - three standup comedians and comedy show hosts based in Warsaw, Poland.

In this Comedy Hole episode, Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray) takes on the persona of a frustrated Elementary School Teacher and walks the listener through 6 steps towards performing a 5 minute standup comedy set at your first open mic. Meanwhile, Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano) and Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski) do their best to distract him with antics, general mischief, and some genuinely good advice. Message us on instagram (@thecomedyhole) if you have questions you'd like us to try and answer! Step 1: 02:50 - Finding an Open Mic in Your City Step 2: 07:07 - Signing Up for an Open Mic Step 3: 13:03 - Writing Your First 5 Minute Standup Set Step 4: 24:53 - Polishing Your Set Step 5: 31:30 - Rehearsing Your Set Step 6: 36:13 - Performing: The Day of the Show

The Comedy Hole is a podcast about Standup Comedy in English in Europe, hosted by Warsaw-based comedians Beatrice Rossano (@beatricerossano), Ariel Bialski (@arielbialski), and Jordan Thomas Gray (@jordanthomasgray). We talk about the craft of standup, how to get started as a new comedian, hosting shows, touring in Europe, and building a thriving community around standup comedy. We also have interviews with popular European comedians and Comedy Hole community members. Follow us on instagram (@thecomedyhole) for information on upcoming shows and podcast episodes.