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English-Language Stand-Up Is Taking Off in Europe. No Joke.
These comics have to navigate culture clashes and social stereotypes. The key, they say, is to make fun of your own nationality first.
It was Friday night, and the Cosmic Comedy club in Berlin was buzzing, with an audience enjoying pizza by the meter and shots of an unidentified pink liquor in tiny plastic glasses.
After a warm-up from an emcee, the crowd applauded and cheered wildly as the Berlin-based comedian Maya Upchurch, a rumpled-looking blonde dressed in all black with cutoff jean shorts, lumbered onto the stage.
“Yes, I’m aware of the fact that I look like Avril Lavigne on meth,” she said in a gruff voice that suggested she’d just woken up.
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An earlier version of this article misstated where the comedian Michele Guido is from. She is from Williston Park, N.Y., not Tarrytown.
When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more
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