The Show Must Go Wrong

What happens when you get booked to do comedy for a book club, and the host starts fighting an audience member while you get brought up? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by Jordanian comedian Eman Khallouf, now based in Berlin, to talk about bad gigs, performing in Arabic, and starting comedy later than everyone else in the room. 🎟 Go see Eman Khallouf live! Stay up to dat...

What happens open up on stage about getting diagnosed with cancer, and then it bombs? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by American comedian Terence Hartnett, now based in Vienna, to talk about bad shows, writing about the hardest thing that's happened to you, and knowing when it's ready for an audience. How to actually use an open mic. When a subject is too raw to...

What happens when you get detained on your way to perform at a comedy festival in Palestine? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by American-Yemeni comedian Ahmed Al-Kadri to talk about bad gigs, bombing, and building a career in comedy on your own terms. 🎟 Go see Ahmed Al-Kadri live: https://www.instagram.com/ahmedlovesbread/https://ahmedlovesbread.com/ 🌍 See your host Pat...

What happens when you take a podcast on stage in front of a live audience and the set up is completely wrong? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by Danish comedian and podcaster Anders Morgenstierne to talk about bad gigs, bombing in a second language, and building an audience through podcasting. His first weird Berlin gig. What can go wrong when you book a big celebrity gue...

What does it actually cost to do drag full time — and what happens when a lipsync falls apart in front of a room? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by Berlin-based drag queen Harpy to talk about bad gigs, money, and building a career in drag in Germany. Getting booked and influencer culture in the scene. Failing in drag and the vulnerability of lipsyncing. The history of dr...

What happens when you book a 30-city tour before you've ever actually toured? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by Ukrainian comedian Dima Watermelon to talk about bad venues, losing money, and what touring comedy in Europe actually costs you. Bombing as a producer instead of as an act. The worst show of his tour. Tour economics, selling tickets, and why comics in Europ...

What happens when you bomb in front of your own parents' friends — and what does tattooing a stranger for four hours have in common with a five-minute set? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by Canadian comedian, tattoo artist, and documentary filmmaker Alison Lujan, to talk about bad gigs, burning out, and what it takes to keep going when the thing you love stops loving...

What happens when absolutely everything goes wrong at a comedy show? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by Kiwi comedian Fitz Gessler, who grew up performing in Wellington before moving to Berlin and building a career in European comedy. We talk about bad shows, performing for a polycule, Fitz's journey into comedy, and the lessons he's learned from touring. Fitz ex...

What does a DJ actually owe the dancefloor — and what happens when you're playing to a crowd you can't feel? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by Berlin-based DJ and producer Elias Doré to talk about track selection, ecstatic dance, and the strange double life of moving between the conscious world and the party world. We get into how much an artist should try to ser...

What is it really like to perform eight shows a week as a professional circus performer—and what happens when an acrobat decides to become a comedian? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by comedian and professional acrobat Andre Augustas, who has performed around the world and worked with Cirque du Soleil. We talk about the world of professional circus, the stereotypes surr...

What happens when Sid Singh, a comedian with 17 years of experience, still can't get on an open mic? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong, I'm joined by American comedian Sid Singh, based between London and Barcelona and an award winner at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, to talk about hecklers, bombing abroad, and the financial realities of building a life as a touring performer. We di...

What does it take to stay truly connected while performing? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by Argentinian DJ and producer Los Cabra to talk about performing with intention, building a creative career, and the realities of life as an independent artist. We discuss Chris's viral post about feeling disconnected on stage, how performers can avoid falling into autopilot,...

What can stand-up comedians learn from clown school? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by Scottish-Swiss comedian Teddy Hall to talk about clowning, hecklers, and finding deeper meaning through comedy. We discuss what clown school teaches that stand-up often doesn't, how social media can support creativity instead of replacing it, and why bombing with personal material...

What can stand-up comedians learn from opera performers? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by comedian and opera singer Steph Deprez to talk about performing in two very different worlds—and how they have more in common than you might think. We discuss how Steph transitioned from opera into stand-up comedy, starting comedy in Los Angeles before moving to Berlin, and why Eu...

What does it take to become a headlining comedian after starting stand-up at just 12 years old? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by Canadian comedian Kyle Lucey to talk about the long road from childhood open mics to touring internationally as a professional stand-up. We discuss dealing with difficult audiences, the brutal process of becoming consistently funny, and why p...

What happens when a bad opener makes a show go completely off the rails? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by comedian Nya Yeanafehn to talk about bombing, bad openers, and the differences between American and European comedy audiences. We discuss how one poorly chosen opener can derail an entire show, whether Germans are really harder to make laugh, and how comedians proc...

What does it take to quit your day job and go all-in on stand-up comedy? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I'm joined by comedian Rogier Bak to talk about getting started in stand-up, surviving the difficult early years, and making the leap to full-time comedy. We discuss bombing in front of people you care about, building a first hour of material, and the challenges that come with p...

What’s the difference between a bad dance show and a bad comedy show? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I’m joined by Berlin-based comedian Žana Fejzić, who tours Europe performing stand-up comedy entirely independently and previously toured professionally as a belly dancer. We talk about bombing in very different art forms, performing comedy across languages and cultures, and how audien...

What’s the difference between North American and European comedy audiences—and what happens when corporate improv gigs go horribly wrong? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I’m joined by comedian Dan Belkin, who grew up in Canada, started in improv, and now tours all over Europe doing stand-up comedy. We talk about the differences between North American and European crowds, throwing peopl...

What does it take to build a stand-up comedy career independently in Europe? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I’m joined by Romanian comedian Dragos to talk about tough crowds, touring Europe, and building an audience from the ground up. We get into performing crowd work in Romanian, shared Eastern European experiences, and how Dragos approached comedy early on with a clear plan for suc...

What does it really take to survive in stand-up comedy? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I’m joined by comedian Tamer Kattan to talk about hecklers, life on the road, and the philosophy behind stand-up. We get into whether comedy is a blue collar art form, how comics deal with difficult audiences, and what performers actually learn from open mics. Tamer also shares insights from winning...

What happens when you perform comedy all over the world—and things don’t go to plan? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I’m joined by Australian comedian Elena Gabrielle, who shares stories from performing across Europe, the UK, and beyond. We talk about bad gigs, horrendous Edinburgh Fringe experiences, and what it’s like performing for different audiences around the world. Elena also op...

Do bad gigs ever stop—even after 20+ years in comedy? In this episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , I’m joined by American comedian Andy Haynes, who stopped by in Berlin during his European tour to talk about bombing on stage, bad shows, and what actually gets harder (and easier) over time in stand-up. We talk about political comedy, opening for famous friends, finding your voice, and the reality of...

Why do stand-up shows go completely off the rails—and why do comedians keep coming back for more? In the first episode of The Show Must Go Wrong , comedian Dave Adams shares stories of bombing on stage, chaotic gigs, and the strange overlap between music and stand-up comedy. We talk about: – The last bad gig that sticks with you – Starting stand-up and finding flow on stage – The difference betwee...