Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kirill Voronin
Welcome to Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast – a show about (surprise) comedy. During long conversations with different comedians and personalities, hosted by a russian comedian Kirill Voronin, we are going to discuss a huge variety of aspects of Russian and English comedy scenes in the heart of Russia – the city of Moscow. This show will give you, the listener, a chance to get acquainted with not only experienced comedians who have performed around the world but also young up and coming comedians who are just starting their hard path on the road to being funny.
Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast is celebrating the New Year by releasing the first episode of 2022. In this episode yours truly Kirill Voronin and Abed Owaysi are looking back at the crazy 2021 for the world of comedy – Louis CK dropping a new special days before Christmas, how cancel culture has affected comedians and their material in 2021, the state of English comedy scene in Moscow as well as being criminally prosecuted for a joke.
All this and more in the more that 2 hours of the first podcast of 2022. Enjoy!
Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast returns after a 3 month hiatus with a brand new episode. This time your hosts Abed Owaysi and Kirill Voronin will be discussing a controversial topic of how a comedy set can turn into an aggressive agenda, how being too critical of your own set can create an unhealthy mindset, the issues within the English comedy community in Moscow and how damaging it could be to the comedians as well as the potential makeover of English comedy in Russia by drawing the comparison with a popular MMO RPG (yes, we are seriously doing that).
Join us for the this dumbly fun ride.
Maria Fedulova is a russian stand up comedian who has been active on stage for over two years. For such a short time on stage Maria has managed to perform in multiple cities and towns in Russia like Kazan, Ryazan, Moscow etc. She has become a resident of stand up clubs in Ryazan and Kazan and recently has been actively performing in Moscow as a resident of Steal The Show Comedy Club. During the first year of her stand up career Maria did multiple shows at Edinburgh Fringe festival as well as participated in several roast battles going head-to-head with very experienced British roasters. Maria also won the annual “The Comic” competition organized and hosted by STS Comedy Club in Moscow.
In this 90 minute episode we dig into the Maria’s background, her comedy persona on and off the stage, the progress she has witnessed over the past 2 years as a comedian as well as the topic of female comedians in stand up.
Episode 22 of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast witnesses the return of one of the first guests of the show - Adrienne Ebert. Join us as we dive into more crazy stories of Aydree Enne’s life as we discuss childhood traumas, how it affects the person on stage, the progress Aydree Enne has had since our first conversation at the show, how hosting helps improve your comedy skills and how to recognize whether you’re having a progress on stage or not.
Yulia Arnautova is a russian stand-up comedian based in the capital of Russia Moscow. Yulia has been performing for almost 2 years and has taken part not only in Russian and English but also Spanish comedy shows.
In the new episode of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast we will discuss how an abusive relationship can lead to starting a comedy career, the differences between Russian and English comedy scene and community in Moscow, how to be a parent, a teacher and a comedian at the same time as well as how to find and improve yourself on stage. We will also dive into Yulia’s experience of auditioning for the most popular TV stand up show in Russia.
After being on hiatus for almost 3 months Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast is back with new discussions about comedy and whatever comes to our demented minds. In the first episode of the second season comedians Abed Owaysi and Kirill Voronin are back to talk about some tips and mistakes when hosting a comedy show, the most typical mistakes every comedian makes on stage as well as possible solutions to them.
Also we will talk about the infamous Bill Cosby case and his recent release from jail.
Storytelling is one of the genres of modern day stand up comedy. But what is the exact difference between a joke and a story? How to write a story for a comedy show? How to polish the story and present it in a unique and interesting way to keep the audience's attention from the beginning to the end?
Ever wondered how to answer these questions? Well, good news for ya - in the new episode of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast Abed Owaysi and Kirill Voronin (yours truly) sit down and deconstruct every aspect of the given questions.
Shawn Wickens is a retired NYC window washer and an award-winning comedian.
Based in NYC, Shawn Wickens has performed at Stand Up NY, Broadway Comedy Club, Eastville, The Duplex, UCB, The PIT, Magnet Theater.
He’s performed at the Yale Club and given private performances around the Tri-State area.
In addition to stand-up, he’s taken his unique “variety show” GOOD JOKE/BAD JOKE BINGO on the road to Washington D.C, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Raleigh, New Orleans, Hartford, Richmond and more. The show has been an official selection at the Rochester Fringe Festival, FringePVD and the Louisville Fringe Festival.
Time Out New York says, “Expect a set that hilarious, delirious and refreshingly raw.” His shows have been Critics’ Picks by Pittsburgh City Paper, Rochester City News, and The Athens News.
Wickens accidentally wrote the best 10-minute set of his life. It happened alone and quarantined in New York City. He openly admits, “I wasn’t trying to write jokes. I think my subconscious knew that I needed to laugh.” You can check out this mini-album by following the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKe8GJTFVj0&list=OLAK5uy_mIrYhaa-BijKnEla1SnuxHlBh_f6KdTfI
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0UEReYYbMcJDYf8sMmtRN9
In the new episode of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast we will dive into how he transitioned from improv to being a full-time stand up comedian, how the pandemic affected the comedy scene around the world and will discuss if there is a place for online comedy in the post pandemic world.
We will also talk about Shawn's recently released mini-album “The Best 10 Minutes of My Life” and how he came up with it.
Comedy audience is arguably one of the most important aspects of any stand up show. But a lot of comedians tend to underestimate the value of people who come to watch them perform. Most of them even struggle to define the meaning of the phenomenon that is "comedy audience". In the new episode of the Before The Punchline Comedy Podcastwe will try to give a clear definition it, explore how important the audience actually is and how it can affect a comedian's performance.
We will also touch upon a subject of improving your jokes, why it is important to open a set with a quick joke and make it as tight and filled with jokes as possible. And as a bonus we will talk about how a comedian can find inspiration living in an ex-whore house.
Igor Mondae is a croatian stand-up comedian who has been performing for 7 years. Coming from a family of performers Igor projects his entertaining skills onto his comedy persona. Igor is one of the first English speaking comedians in Russia who helped popularize English stand up in Russia and in particular in Moscow. Having performed at the biggest English comedy shows in Russia, Igor has also toured Europe multiple times performing in such countries like Slovenia, Slovakia, Germany, Sweeden, Croatia etc. Above everything else he is also one of the founders of Steal The Show Comedy – a comedy organization/club which organizes most of comedy events in English in Moscow.
In the brand new episode of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast we will dive into the Igor’s origins as a comedian as well as discuss how he ended up coming to Russia, what’s it like to perform in front of Russian and international crowds, is there any difference in humor mentality between Russians and foreigners; will discuss the most uncomfortable comedy experience he’s ever had and also discuss the details about how to open up and run a comedy club.
Also check out Igor's "The Comedy Kiosk" podcast which he cohosts with a fellow comedian David Muñoz by clicking the link below:
https://thecomedykiosk.podbean.com/e/episode-6-love-comedy/?fbclid=IwAR2v31wjRL3H4QhxQ7yB7t3qDkiaANBLjM3HLejlAgf6YHb-qPcgjvOaxig
For the new episode of the podcast we welcome back our good old comedy nerd Abed Owaysi. This time around we’re gonna talk about how the crazy Russian winter can make a comedian so lazy that he doesn’t even want to go out and perform, how different winters are back in Jordan, how a joke comes into a comedian’s head and how a joke from the past can get a new life at present.
This episode also features a carnal sin which brings tons of hatred to anyone who commits it – it’s (ALARM) DISCUSSING POLITICS!!! Which is exactly what we have done for a good part of the episode. Tune in and enjoy!
Gleb Tugushev is a russian stand up comedian who is also one of the original English speaking comedians in Moscow. Currently residing in Australia with almost 10 years of experience Gleb has earned quite a lot of credentials in the world of comedy in and outside of Russia – he has toured Europe multiple times and performed in such countries as Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Britian. Gleb has also participated in Fringe comedy festival in Edinburgh as well as the biggest English comedy show in Russia with almost 500 people in attendance.
In the new episode of Before The Punchline comedy podcast we will discuss how the pandemic affected comedy scene in Australia, how a Russian can achieve success in English comedy, how important is the clothes comedians wear on stage, will take a look at how Gleb’s journey in English comedy began and how he helped develop it in Russia as well as his experience participating in Fringe. Join us in over 2 hour conversation to hear all this and more fun comedy stories.
David Muñoz is an Australian-spanish comedian who has been performing for over 5 years. Starting off his comedy craft in Australia with an accidental 30-minute corporate gig, David is one of the most energetic comedians on English stand up scene is Moscow. During his stint in Moscow he has performed at some of the biggest shows and venues in Moscow as seen by his credentials – a runner-up in the third annual Last Comic Standing competition, performed in front of 250 people on the Big English Stand Up show in 2018, did his own 40-minute solo show in Irkutsk. Being a regular resident Of Steal The Show Comedy Club in Moscow, David is constantly evolving as a comedian, constantly perfecting his stand up craft.
In the new 2 hour episode of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast we are going to dig into David’s past – his childhood in Australia, his personal struggles in regards to future career, how difficult it is to grow up in a foreign country while having Spanish origins, crazy stories of his rough start as a comedian as well as a very romantic story of meeting, falling in love and marrying a Russian lady and moving to Russia.
P.S. You can check out David's solo show from Irkutsk by following the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ6qIhXl5-o&feature=share
Adrian Niro is a canadian comedian who is currently residing in Moscow. For 6 years of being an active performer, he has done all the major stages in Moscow and even abroad – participated in Punchline Comedy Festival, was the runner-up at the very first Last Comic Standing competition in Moscow, did a one man 90 minute solo show in Belgium. Adrian has also been a long-time host of English stand up shows at Jim N Jacks’ bar which is considered by many to be the birth place of English comedy in Moscow. Atop of everything else he has recently started doing comedy in russian.
Join us in over 90 minute conversation to find out how a Canadian can end up coming and living in Moscow, how difficult performing in front of savage crowds can be, how a comedian can end up getting punched in the face by audience members, how to properly use a “foreigner card” when you perform in Russia and a lot of other inside details about stand up.
In the New Year edition of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast we sit down with fellow comedian Abed Owaysi to look back at the year 2020 and discuss how it affected the comedy scene in general and comedians in particular. We will also point out the positive moments this year has brought and how it opened a window of opportunity for young up and coming comedians.
And this time we are doing something special as for the first time Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast is also available in video format. You can check out the video version of this episode by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3kOnH-70PE
Also all the next episodes will also be available on Youtube in video format, so I'd highly recommend to subscribe to our Youtube channel as well:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtqtDbRwBVJe8A3JBXZqYpg
Join us in the final podcast this year and the first video version of the show!
As the holiday season is already booming with full force, in the new episode of the podcast yours truly flies solo diving into the holiday festivities and experience that I've had for the 27 years of existing in this world.
In addition I will open up a little bit more about my personal life to get you, the listeners, more acquainted with the person behind the microphone as I look back at the worst and the best moments that occured in my life in the year 2020.
Nickolay Antonov is a stand-up comedian who has been performing for almost 10 years. Having started performing in Finland where at one point he was a working comedian hitting the road and performing all over Finland, he transitioned his comedy skills to russian stand up scene and is rightfully considered as one of the original comedians to perform English stand-up in Moscow.
Join us in the new episode where we will dive into Nickolay's origins as a comedian as well as his experience outside of comedy world. Sex, drugs, rap, relationship and even fresh business ideas - all this and more will keep you entertained for the next 2 hours!
Sergio Garcia is an up and coming comedian who made his first steps into the world of stand up on Moscow comedy scene. Having done comedy for less than a year Sergio has already accomplished plenty of impressive things – reaching the finals of The Champion of Comedy competition, performing on all the major English stand up stages in Moscow and becoming the first person to organize and host the only Spanish stand up open mic in Moscow.
In the latest episode of the show we are going to find out what sparked Sergio’s interest in comedy, dive into a detailed conversation about how he works on his material as well as talk about drugs, culture, the differences in between Colombian and Russian humor and how one Russian woman changed his entire life and ended up bringing him to Moscow.
One of the most common issues that every comedian encounters on their path in stand up is burning out. This problem can arise at any point and is usually preceded by a huge variety of things - personal issues, a streak of bad shows, no ideas for new material etc.
In episode number 7 we are sitting down with jordanian comedian Abed Owaysi to discuss the issue of burning out as well as different ways of how to get out of this and reignite your passion for comedy.
Arun Khurana is a 28 year old Indian who was born in Minsk, Belarus on April 1st and has lived his entire life in Moscow. If that isn’t enough to become a comedian I don’t know what is. Arun has been performing for over 5 years. He is one of the first people to perform English stand-up in Moscow; he has done some of the biggest comedy shows in English in Moscow, as well as took part in multiple tours across Europe.
In the new episode of the podcast we are doing to discuss what an Indian man is doing in his free time while waiting to get his official Russian citizenship; will take a close look at how Arun started in comedy, the pros and cons of being a performer as well as talk about how the English comedy scene in Moscow started and how it has been developing ever since (including some of the darker moments of it for the past 5 years).
This week on the new episode of Before The Punchline Comedy Podcast we’re doing something out of format and I will be running solo for this particular episode. In the new edition of the podcast I will dive into the topic of stealing jokes and using them on stage as “your material”, what it eventually leads to and the consequences that will follow once you get exposed. The catch is that I personally went through all this and therefore this will be an in-depth discussion based on my own experience.
Hopefully you will find it useful, informative and prevent people from making the mistakes I made as well as going through the hell I went through.
Enjoy.
"Champion of Comedy" is a stand up tournament held throughout October 2020 and organized by Steal The Show Comedy - a comedy organization based in Moscow. In the new episode of the podcast we sit down with a fellow comedian Abed Owaysi and take an in-depth look at how the tournament was organized, held and the aftermath of the Grand Finale.
Also at the end of the episode we'll introduce a new segment which will be present in all the future episodes of the show.
Aydree Enne (aka Adrienne Ebert) is an up-and-coming American comedian based in Moscow and one of the semifinalists of the 2020 Champion of Comedy tournament organized by Steal The Show Comedy. Originally from Houston, Texas she has spent most of her recent years in Moscow where she actually started doing stand up. Having studied psychology at university as well as having plenty of crazy experience in her life, Aydree Enne decided to transfer all this into her comedy routine.
In an over 90-minute talk we will find out what makes an American move to Russia, how not to get stabbed when your friend does, how comedy scene in South Korea looks like and what kind of peculiarities a person goes through during the first year on stage.
Mamello Mokoena (aka Mum-Z) is a comedian, actor, comedy promoter and a well-known entertainer. Originally from South Africa he has accomplished a lot of notable things in his 10 plus year career - 4 SAFTA Awards (2013: Best Ensemble in a TV comedy series and 2014,15 & 16: Best TV comedy series), 2 International Emmy nominations (Best TV Comedy) and most recently winning the Champion of Comedy stand-up competition in Moscow.
Mum-Z has performed all over the world including such cities as Berlin, Cape Town, Munich, Stockholm and Moscow. He has shared stage with such big names in stand-up like Trevor Noah.
In this 90 plus minute discussion we’re going take you through Mum-Z’s origins as a comedian, his experience in performing around the globe, best and worst moments on stage and we’re also going to discuss some very edgy topics in comedy like racism.
Enjoy the show and leave your feedback.
Abed Owaysi is a jordanian comedian based in the capital of Russia - Moscow. With over 5 years of experience on both English and Russian comedy scenes, Abed has had plenty of accomplishments - performing at the biggest comedy venues in Moscow such as Stand Up Club #1, Stand Up Store as well as winning the Last Comic Standing comedy tournament in 2019.
In the first episode of this show we are diving into Abed's experience of living and performing in Russia, his best and worst moments on stage as well as his origins as a comedian. Join us in this 70 minute trip down hte memory lane of one of the most hard-working english speaking comedians in Moscow.