WE could all need a nice laugh now and again. The saying “laughter is the best medicine” has virtually always been true, and if you can find the right stand-up comedy act, you can get your fill of the belly-laughing stuff in person.
In recent years, this kind of entertainment has grown in popularity. Making jokes among your friends is easy, but speaking in front of a live audience with the sole purpose of making them laugh can at times be challenging.
I recently went to a Just Jokes pop up stand-up comedy event. It is a show that was created to assist the local comedy culture, serve as a training ground for jokes to be tested and improved, and a platform to allow seasoned comics to share their experiences and skills.
The fundamental objective of Just Jokes was to promote stand-up comedy and show the broader public how universally appealing it is. theSun spoke to Mahyar, the founder and comic of Just Jokes, to learn more about the show and his own experience in stand-up comedy.
Mahyar was raised in Sentul, where life certainly wasn’t always easy, but he was always taught to express himself, even in the face of hardship.
For him, stand-up comedy gives him the opportunity to do just that, growth via repeated tribulations, setbacks, and uncertainty.
In 2019, when he was on the verge of giving up on life, he realised that “I have nothing to lose” and decided to give anything a go. Before he became a full-time comic, he spent years attending comedy gigs.
Mahyar claims that the idea behind the Just Jokes show is to provide comedians with a chance to visit new places and attract viewers from other parts of the country, rather than just one Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood.
He said: “We host shows every single week, from open mic nights, to selected special showcase performances with promising new talents.”
Early in 2022, according to Mahyar, he felt the need to start something with his own vision and direction. This is when the concept for Just Jokes first occurred to him.
Mahyar is aware of the challenges associated with starting a new venture. It is not as simple as it seems to get people to attend to a comedy event in Malaysia because it is not yet an established art form, he added.
However, Just Jokes was able to build a strong brand presence within a year, mostly through social media, and they have regularly had excellent event attendance.
Just Jokes performed their first two shows in Penang, before beginning to host weekly events in KL in September 2022.
“The brand expanded faster than I anticipated,” he said. “Can you even begin to comprehend how absurd it was for a Sentul boy like me?” Mahyar said that despite the success, it is still stressful to get audiences to attend, especially considering the novelty of the art form.
Mahyar mentioned that the main goal of Just Jokes is to make everyone laugh. That includes working with places where comedy performances would never be considered.
Just Jokes has performed in a wide range of locations, including an architecture firm, a photography studio, a wedding venue, and even a tattoo shop.
Mahyar claims that holding performances in distinctive locations enables the audience to explore and encounter different settings. In keeping with their mission to make humour accessible to everyone, Just Jokes also makes sure that its gigs are inclusive to all groups, regardless of background. According to Mahyar, this distinguishes Just Jokes from other stand-up performances.
Mahyar is convinced that everything works out just as it should. If Just Jokes had not encountered all of its challenges in the beginning, it would not have been feasible for them to grow to where they are today. Despite all the challenges he and the team faced, he cherishes how he originally launched the show, and is proud of it.
“We started with just two people, but today attendees are prepared to stand and enjoy the shows since the venue is filled.”
Every show is carefully curated, with a wide line-up of comics, with the goal of showcasing various stand-up comedy genres to the audience, whether it’s edgy, interactive, or even musical. He said: “We respect the right to free speech, but we also make sure it’s humorous, lighthearted and culturally appropriate.”
The ideal kind of audience, in Mahyar’s opinion, is one that shows up for the performance. “Stand-up comedy is an audience-dependent art form.”
He continued by saying he never picks on “the lonely” since he used to be one of them. When asked how he generates ideas, he responded that he generally speaks about his life because he wants to be genuine to himself and practises doing so at open-mic events. “The only way to test your content is on stage, and what a joy it is to see people laughing at your life stories,” he remarked.
I attended their two-hour show. I didn’t initially expect to enjoy it, at first. In fact, I worried that the show wouldn’t even be that funny. I’ve previously seen a couple stand-up comedy performances, but they weren’t really enjoyable for me.
To my amazement, it was very entertaining, and I immediately began laughing at their jokes as the show went on. Each comic was given time to entertain the crowd during the first half of the performance, while the second section was an unscripted segment. The comedians were allowed three minutes to create content using a topic chosen by the audience from a deck of cards.
Mahyar was the host for the evening and had a really easygoing demeanour that made people laugh.
Personally, I thought Kavin Jay’s segment was fantastic. Even before the segment began, I could tell he was going to be humorous because of his incredibly cool aura.
The other two comics, Harresh A.U. and Shamaine Othman, were also excellent.
If you want to unwind or simply enjoy yourself with your friends and family, Just Jokes is an excellent choice. But remember that it’s called a comedy show for a reason, so don’t take anything they say too seriously!
Mahyar stated a desire to work with IKEA Malaysia before the interview came to an end, and hinted that they would perform at “a lovely ice cream store” in the future.
Johor, Ipoh, and Kuching are the other three states that Just Jokes is thinking about visiting. Mahyar took the opportunity to thank the Just Jokes staff for their unwavering support and assistance with the performance.
He advises anyone thinking about performing comedy to join up for an open mic night. He said: “You should give stand-up comedy a go at least once. You’ll regret starting to do this later in life more.”
You may register for open mic nights at Just Jokes as well. Visit linktr.ee/justjokesmy to get in touch with Just Jokes, or follow them on Instagram at @justjokesmy.
Best of luck, Just Jokes.
