This is the kind of stand-up you can see in Finland – we list the most interesting styles and comedians

Stand-up comedy can be a theatrical show, quick jokes or social humour. Check out the styles and performers of Finnish stand-up comedy in this article.

Today, it is delightfully difficult to define what stand-up can and cannot be.

Lecture comedy is used to analyse burning issues and tell touching stories. The raucous mockery of the audience is counterbalanced by a series of self-deprecating comedians.

In this article, we present six interesting genres of stage comedy. Including tips on where to see them this spring on Finnish stand-up stages.

1. An experimental comedy that challenges the norm

Experimental stand-up comedy has its roots in the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. Also called anti-comedy, the stylistic direction developed as a counter-phenomenon to the straightforward comedy, which had become a money-seeking favorite.

However, experimental comedy has become mainstream in forty years. Today, classic joke telling and humor that ambitiously seeks new things fit on the same stage.

2. Story-driven comedy tears the laughs out of funny situations

In narrative comedy, a one-and-a-half-hour stand-up performance can be like a theater monologue, where the plot moves from one joke to another. Narrative humor can be particularly appealing to those who like sitcom sitcoms.

*In the all-female panel’s Revelations presentation, secrets told anonymously by the audience are revealed. The first performance is at the Tampere Comedy Theater on February 15.*

3. Imaginative observations about everyday life amuse almost anyone

*Observational comedy*, i.e. comedy based on observation, is often easily approachable, because understanding a joke does not require following politics or knowing other references.

The comedian, who marvels at the small details of everyday life, established his place in standup already fifty years ago. At that time, the public became interested in more personal and relatable humor than before.

4. Social comedy takes on a difficult issue for the fun of it

The comedy not only deals with the politics of the day, but also other social topics such as the culture of violence, equality and climate change. When joking, with the freedom of fiction, bends are straightened out, sharpened and exaggerated.

5. Aphrodisiacs in one sentence

*One lin*e*rit*, literally one line jokes, are witty and fast-paced humor. Because of their joke-like nature, the jokes also easily stick in the audience’s mind.

Beginning comedians usually only write ten or even five minute shows. The humor comes from the fast pace for practical reasons.

*Amokrane will be seen on January 22nd in Helsinki at Korjaamo’s Uudet ja hauskat club.*

6. Self-deprecating comedian rocks himself

In the 2020s, many of the comedians are skipping celebrities and especially the audience. Instead, they focus on making fun of themselves.

Anti-heroes created on stage can be comforting to the audience. The comedian sets an example of how not to take one’s own insecurities seriously.

A self-deprecating comic can stumble over generalizations. Comedy is in danger of becoming repetitive if one comedian after another describes himself as a failure because he is single or penniless.

*The Finnish comedians featured in the article perform Tomatoes! Tomatoes! at stand up festival in Tampere 22.1.–25.1.*