This year, I stepped way out of my comfort zone and into a performance medium I had never explored before: stand-up comedy.
It all started when I went to see a show at the Athens English Comedy Club. I sat in the audience, watching comedian after comedian take the stage, and I had a realization: I can do this. Before I could talk myself out of it, I signed up for their next open mic night.
Writing, Rewriting, and Finding the Funny
Athens English Comedy Club, run by the incomparable Athina Kefalopoulou, alternates between open mic nights at a local bar, and fully promoted English-speaking sets with local & international comedians at Theater Eliart.
Stand-up is an art form that looks effortless when done well—but trust me, it takes work. Writing funny material is one challenge. Performing it in a way that lands? A whole different beast.
I put together a five-minute set about my experiences as a Canadian in Greece—the culture shocks, the oddities, and the small, hilarious moments of trying to navigate life in a new country. When the night came, I took the stage, phone in hand, reading directly from my script.
And… it worked! The audience laughed quite a bit, and Athina invited me to perform at their next promoted show at Theater Eliart.
Learning the Craft
For my next performance, I refined my set—tightening jokes, sharpening punchlines, and trying to “find the funny” in each bit. This time, I relied on a simplified version of my notes, but I was noticeably nervous, and the laughs were fewer. A humbling moment.
So, I went back to the drawing board. I polished my material, performed at another open mic, and made a key decision: I needed to memorize my set completely.
Friends—this was the secret. Once I had every word ingrained, I could deliver my jokes naturally, like they were coming straight from my head in real time. It was magic.
A Workshop, A New Challenge, and A Packed House
As fate would have it, Athina soon hosted a comedy writing workshop with Canadian (now UK-based) comedian Mike Sheer. Of course, I signed up. Not only did I get to learn from an expert, but I also joined the lineup to perform one last time before leaving Greece.
That final show was incredible. The venue was packed with an international audience, my set landed, and I walked off stage feeling truly proud of what I’d accomplished.
What’s Next?
This whole experience was a wild adventure—a test of my writing, my confidence, and my ability to embrace a completely new challenge. And now? I think I’d like to do it again.
But first, I need new material. My “Canadian in Greece” set won’t hit quite the same with audiences back home. Time to start writing!
It was an adventure, a great exercise in writing and performing, and something I’d like to try again. I’d better get writing, as my 5-minute “Canadian in Greece” set is now a bit stale and won’t resonate so much with audiences back home.