Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland: The Riches of Germany's English Comedy Circuits

Sophie Holly

Jun 10, 2024

5 min read

At a glance:

Open mic spots in Frankfurt and Stuttgart

Given the Germans’ pretty ubiquitous reputation for having absolutely no sense of humour at all, was I particularly filled with hope when I moved to Baden-Württemberg in 2022?

Yes, I was, because I did almost no cultural research before moving. I am absolutely that one tourist always getting arrested for illegally kissing under sacred bridges, having the wrong immigration paperwork, or smuggling Class D drugs (which was actually a dried sage stick; call me superstitious).

I’ve long believed that, in comedy, ignorance is glorious bliss. It keeps you from overthinking, for a start: will the audience connect with my material? Am I as funny as the mirror on my dressing table thinks I am? Instead of torturing myself with such questions, I just did a quick google search upon arrival - “English comedy open mics Germany” - and found the mother lode of opportunities for beginners, which would catapult me from humble beginner to several frequent paid performances within a year.

My first open mic was at the painfully literally-named English Comedy Frankfurt's Thursday evening open mic night at the Midea Home Lounge (formerly, Haier Experience Lounge; details for all open mics found at the end). Having been writing jokes for eight years up until that point, but only having the cajones to perform stand-up a total of thrice across those eight years, my logic was simple but effective - “hey, if I bomb in a country where nobody knows me, it’ll be a lot less withering, no one will remember it, and I can flee back to a safe country and pretend it never happened.”

So, I found myself one November evening in an appliance showroom in Frankfurt. But, is it also a bar? Or an art gallery? No one’s really sure and that’s the beauty of open mic venues - they are the most confusing, Narnia-like environments that, with a well-placed mic stand and some last minute feng shui, can be instantly transformed into a comedy space. You will absolutely be asking yourself, “am I in the right place?” right up until some merciful deity speaks into the mic, “Welcome to our comedy show.” Great; I would breathe a sigh of relief, if I could stop the anxiety diarrhoea.

There was no better welcome onto the Frankfurt comedy scene, all thanks to the overwhelmingly supportive, non-judgemental hosts, Eva and Abby, who see only potential in new acts and are thus incredibly generous with the slots they offer. This night is instrumental in fostering the familial, positive atmosphere amongst the acts on this circuit, as we gather in the back of the gallery and natter like old friends till showtime, praising one another onto and off of the stage when the nerves get a bit much. Heck, this group of people are more like family than my own family and this vibe extends fully outwards across the rest of Frankfurt’s comedic offerings.

My other most-frequented open mics included the twice-monthly English-language show at Township, run by The Comedy Community. Now, these guys really know how to make you feel like a superstar, putting on an open mic that you will mistake for a much more professional showcase. In fact, it can be quite intimidating for first-timers, given the dark, theatre-like space, large stage, paying audience, and all down a spooky alleyway you’re always certain you’re going to get mugged in. But hey, that’s a good story to start your first set with.

But don’t be put off by this description because you will have the best time and the fellow acts are familiar faces across the whole circuit, always up for a chat over a beer post-show and will embrace new acts as one of their own. Likewise, The Comedy Community’s sister show in nearby Darmstadt - SoDarmFunny - is very similar, taking place in the definitely-haunted basement space of a theatre, all stone walls and creepy corridors - but, this is a group of people who can reduce both the living and the dead to hysterics.

Lastly for Frankfurt, it would be a crime against humanity not to mention Funny Females and Friends, a behemoth that I don’t even know how to begin describing. Ingeniously conceived a little over a year ago by comedians Lichi and Amanda Urban, this monthly show offers a mixed bill of Frankfurt’s finest Flinta* beginners, intermediates, and professionals in the casual and spacious Mina Cafe on the last Saturday of the month, with their new show Grills 'n' Giggles at Little Suzy's Smoke Shack making an unapologetic earthquake of an entrance to the scene alongside. Their occasional all-day comedy workshops for beginners offer new voices the chance to take to the stage the very same day, only further contributing to a rare and powerful female comedy scene that is still so sorely lacking in other major cities; yet, these two demonstrate how easy it can be to elevate those well-deserved voices.

Across Frankfurt, there’s such an international, island-of-misfit-toys atmosphere to the comedy scene and nobody allows egos to overshadow that. Therefore, if you’re thinking of relocating to Germany or want to pop over for a few gigs yourself, the Frankfurt circuit is a glowing example of wholesome and communal comedy.

In the same vein, the Stuttgart circuit feels like a foster home for lost comedians, since you will be scooped up into loving arms and cradled by a group of people who demonstrate what it would be like if you had a family made up solely of funny siblings. I started performing in Stuttgart regularly from November 2022, back when there were only about four or five comedians on per show, which has now grown to a number so large that shows are often split into two entirely separate bills, let alone halves. With at least four shows per month in various intimate venues across the sprawling city, English Comedy Stuttgart (also very literally named) will likewise offer slots from anyone ranging from semi-professionals tidying up some material or absolute beginners who have never stepped foot on a stage before. They don’t discriminate and absolutely everyone is welcome; they’re basically the ‘trust fall’ of comedy circuits, eight or nine people standing behind you with loving arms outstretched.

So, to wrap up, I feel purely and irrevocably blessed and spoilt to have begun my career in these two cities. I would never have thought that this quiet gal, chatting away on stage about her first months as a British expat in post-Brexit Europe, would resonate so well with Germany’s audiences (who, it turns out, actually do have a sense of humour; wild). The beautiful chaos of gigging means there’s often little time to thank the organisers, fellow comedians, and audiences behind these opportunities and they are just regular, genuine, down-to-earth people, no conceit or bells and whistles - just the purest love for comedy and comedians. So, let this be a love letter to them.

After all that, I return to the humble shores of Großbritannien with only one question in mind and one that will determine the trajectory of the next five to ten years of my life - am I also funny in England?

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Contact details for the comedy promoters mentioned in the article:

English Comedy Frankfurt:

Instagram: @englishcomedyfrankfurt

Website: https://englishcomedyfrankfurt.com/

English Comedy Stuttgart:

Instagram: @englishcomedystuttgart

The Comedy Community:

Instagram: @the.comedy.community

Website: https://thecomedycommunity.de/

SoDarmFunny:

Instagram: @sodarmfunny