EN 
ET Everyone enjoys and deserves a good laugh every single day. Laughter is what gets us through life, brings us closer to each other and omits a sliver of light during dark moments. And whilst our taste in humour may vary from person to person, laughter and jokes are still something that unite us in a positive way. Fortunately, some people have had the opportunity to make a living out of getting a laugh out of people and have made a career out of it. Stand-up comedy is a popular, well-beloved and uplifting genre of entertainment. Whether it’s going to a live-show and actually experiencing the performance or watching a recording of one, the end goal for the comedians stays the same – to bring more happiness to the world.
Stand-up comedy is a relatively new concept in Estonia, but over the past 10 years the comedy scene here has majorly expanded. In this article, we will introduce you to the concept of stand-up comedy, the history of it, the standup-comedy scene in Tallinn, some venues and festivals where you can indulge in this form of entertainment. Let’s dive in!
What is Stand-up Comedy?
Stand-up comedy is a genre of entertainment, where the artist is performing on a stage in front of a live audience. The performer usually makes humorous, witty, satirical, sometimes dark and edgy rehearsed and scripted jokes. More often than not, the performer will interact with the audience to liven the experience and make quick-witted comebacks. Stand-up comedy scripts can consist of real life stories, observations, political commentary and much more. Most artists deliver a one-man show with no props, others might implement music to their performances, do spot-on impressions, magic tricks and even tie in some ventriloquism (like Jeff Dunham).
Open mic nights are a pivotal part of the stand-up comedy scene. These events are oftentimes at least partially curated, where starting or already well-established artists can sign up in advance and get a timeslot on stage to perform. Sometimes, however, people can sign up on the night of the event on the spot to be on stage. These open mic events grant opportunities for beginners to try out what it feels like to be on stage, how to do crowd work, figure out their comedic style and garner more confidence in their performances. For professional stand-up artists, it offers them the chance to try out some new jokes, to see what works or does not, for future ticketed solo or group shows.
Performers of this comedy genre can be called stand-up comedians, comediennes (feminine) or comics.
History of Stand-up Comedy
The stand-up comedy as we know it today is a relatively new form of entertainment, but the roots of the genre date back to the beginning of the 20th century. Stand-up comedy has evolved from and is a conglomerate of various historic genres, including vaudeville, burlesque and, nowadays rightfully considered derogatory, minstrel shows. All of these types of shows had elements of comedy or comedic relief to them, but all of them implemented props of some sort and were more theatrical than anything.
At the turn of the 20th century and with an ever-changing, blossoming and modern society, the comedy scene changed and evolved. Contemporary comedians of the time arranged fast-paced jokes, relied on slapstick and sometimes lewd commentary, often impersonating other ethnicities. The jokes themselves, however, whether they were someone’s original creation or not, were considered public domain. This meant that jokes were often stolen from other comedians and repeated amongst the scene.
1920s is when our contemporary stand-up comedy style was starting to take form. This is when a group of performers, initially from the vaudeville scene, began to perform one-man shows. The difference between this new live-entertainment from vaudeville was the lack of props, directly addressing the audience and only focusing on verbal, humorous stories and jokes. Stand-up comedy became less like a variation of theatre, but more a chance to be yourself, to make people laugh by selling your character on stage and sharing your sense of humour.
A new wave of stand-up comedians emerged in the 1950s when various American comedians started implementing satirical social commentary. This meant that comedians ventured into the realm of politics, race relations, sexuality and world views.
Stand-up Comedy Today
The contemporary stand-up comedy scene is colorful, multifaceted and oftentimes mixed with other genres. Bo Burnham has become a household name with his unique comedic style, fusing both left-leaning comedy and musical performances. Many performers have a distinctive overlaying topic they implement into their routines which makes them stand out amongst the rest. Gabriel Iglesias or ,,Fluffy” is known for his self-deprecating fat jokes, our very own Ari Matti Mustonen is known for introducing Eastern European culture to the wider world and juxtaposing it with American culture.
Where can I see Live Stand-up Comedy Shows around the World?
Throughout the 20th century, stand-up shows took place in various types of venues. Initially vaudeville-style theatres, then nightclubs, coffeehouses and folk clubs during the 1940s and finally venturing out into bigger venues from the 1970s. Nowadays, you see stand-up comedians performing in all of these various venues, whether it’s a laid-back underground bar or a sold-out show on a major stage. Some of the most well-known stand-up comedy venues around the globe include The Comedy Store (LA & LDN), The Comedy Cellar (NY), The Comedy Café (BER) and The Standup Comedy Club (EDI, GLA, NCL). Either way, the dynamic between the audience members and comics are what matter, regardless of the size of the venue. It can always be an unforgettable experience filled with laughter and a sense of recognition.
If you’re just getting into stand-up comedy or you’re already an avid show-goer, then one of the best ways to experience stand-up, get to know your preferred style or to see all your favourite comedians in real life is to attend festivals! There are countless multi-genre festivals being held around the globe, some of them just dedicated to stand-up comedy! Some of the most well-known include Melbourne International Comedy Festival, New York’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and Just For Laughs (a nomadic festival, multiple locations).
If you want to enjoy stand-up comedy alongside other genres, then Fringe festivals are the way to go! The #1 Fringe festival in the world takes place in Edinburgh, and over the years, the festival program is led by stand-up comedians. It’s definitely a festival you need to attend at least once in your life! But no worries, we have a Fringe festival here in Estonia too! More on that later.
Stand-up Comedy Organizations in Estonia
Stand-up comedy is a relatively new form of live-entertainment in Estonia. The first stand-up comedy club here was established in 2010 named Comedy Estonia. The founder, Louis Zezeran, is an Aussie businessman, presenter and comedian, deemed the ,,godfather of Estonian Stand-up Comedy.” The club is more of a talent agency and promoter for local comedy shows, offering a unified platform and support system for comedians.
Comedy Estonia has declared that they are mostly driven by the love for doing live shows, interacting and engaging with the audience. They also believe that ,,the audience is the first and last good judge of the material.” Comedy Estonia organizes shows both in Estonian and English, public and private events, sometimes venturing even to other countries. Comedy Estonia’s current official members are Louis Zezeran, Roger Andre, Daniel Veinbergs, Ari Matti Mustonen, Ardo Asperk, Karl-Alari Varma, Mikael Meema, Aleksandr Popov, Ann Vaida, Tatjana Vinogradova, Endrik Puntso, Ben Hecksher and Sten-Erik Allikas.
In 2023, a similar comedy network was founded by many of the comedians of Comedy Estonia. Huumoriklubi aims to help comedians organize and promote solo and group tours plus other smaller gigs. The ambition to branch out was eminent and the ever-expanding local comedy scene is what made comedians Ari Matti Mustonen, Sander Õigus, Mikael Meema, Ardo Asperk, Karl-Alari Varma, Roger Andre and Daniel Veinbergs begin their new journey of bringing stand-up comedy to the people.
Spotlight Comedy is a comedy club that organizes shows ,,from Tallinn to Paris.” They host group shows, both in Estonian and English, primarily offering a stage for various local comedians, even some who are just starting out or don’t belong to any official comedy organizations. Spotlight Comedy shows are mostly hosted by Ann Vaida or Kaspar Kikerpill, both well-established in the field. Their shows have included comics of Huumoriklubi and Comedy Estonia, but also comedians like Maria Sepp, Mari Volar, Madis Kurm, Johannes Vaher, Aleksander Eeri Laupmaa and many others, even guest stars from abroad!
Established in 2022, Pussy Jam Comedy is a collective of FLINTA* comedians in Estonia. FLINTA* is a German abbreviation that stands for female, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people. The asterisk represents all non-binary gender identities. The comedians here often bring attention to sexism and inequality in their shows. Pussy Jam Comedy organizes group and solo events across Tallinn, prioritizing offering a safe space for everyone in minority groups, both on stage and in the audience. But if you are not a minority, you are still absolutely welcome to come enjoy the shows!
There are many performers who have been or continue to be involved in Pussy Jam events in different capacities. The collective operates as a community space, where every person joining their events is welcome to participate in decision-making, thus they do not have a closely defined list of ‘members’. Pussy Jam Comedy encompasses Jana Levitina, Tatiana Akopova, Sandra Tiitson, Sille-Kadri Simer and Ana Falcón, frequent performers include Maria Sepp, Ann Vaida, Isi Salcedo, Christy Inhulsen, Olga Loitsenko and many more.
An honorable mention is Alien Comedy, which was a Tallinn-based comedy club that organized and promoted English stand-up comedy shows in Estonia. Just up until February of 2025, the main organizer Elmar Abassov had curated countless shows across Tallinn, offering opportunities for many foreigners to take the stage. Alien Comedy had hosted shows for Erasmus students, co-organized weekly stand-up shows with Pussy Jam Comedy and much more. But after nine years of living in Estonia, Elmar has new opportunities awaiting him abroad! We hope you continue to make people laugh across the world!
Stand-up Comedy Events in Tallinn
Heldeke! is a red curtain vaudeville-style theatre bar that hosts numerous shows almost every day. Housed in the hipster region of Kalamaja in an underground spot, the venue is atmospheric and cozy. Most shows in Heldeke are within the stand-up comedy genre, offering a stage for both local and international artists. Comedy shows include open mic nights, solo shows, group shows, roast battles, gong shows and everything in between. Performers vary from newcomers to pros, granting an opportunity for everyone to give a show. The comedy shows in Heldeke are usually in Estonian or English, but sometimes even in Russian or Spanish! You will definitely find a stand-up comedy for you that ticks all your boxes by checking out and keeping an eye on our public calendar!
SUHE (former Nudist) is a bar, food place and venue all in one. Located in the artsy district and Creative City, it hosts mostly local comedy shows amongst other events. Although mostly a music and dj venue, every once in a while they will house a stand-up comedy show.
Ratas & Kohv is a café, bicycle shop and venue located near Hipodroomi. Here, you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, fix up your bike and every once in awhile, see a show! Although mostly focused on the first two aspects, they house various open mic nights and music events.
Tallinn Fringe is a multi-genre short performance festival that takes place in various locations around Tallinn from 18th of August until 18th of September each year. Tallinn Fringe is an openly accessible festival to all performers from all walks of life and experiences, which means that anyone can take part! To participate, the artist needs to contact a venue directly. There are approximately 200 shows held during the festival, of which most are of the stand-up comedy genre. Countless local and international comedians take part in Tallinn Fringe, some have multiple shows in multiple venues during the festival.
Tallinn Fringe is a festival where local audiences get to experience a unique opportunity. Stand-up comedians from around the world, spanning from Australia to the United States, tag along to take part in Tallinn Fringe, which means they get to bring their humour, culture and jokes to us! It’s a festival you want to keep an eye on!
Stand-up comedy is a popular form of entertainment today and has made its way into Estonia. The local comedy scene is ever-expanding, providing more opportunities for anyone who wants to try their hand at comedy. We hope that this article helped you get to know more about the genre, about stand-up comedy in Tallin, our local clubs and performers, and some venues and opportunities to experience stand-up comedy! Cheers!
