Funny man Russell Peters sold out his show last year in a matter of minutes. We spoke to him about returning to Abu Dhabi.
Are you looking forward to coming back to Abu Dhabi?
I love it in Abu Dhabi. I’ve been round the world touring but this is one of the shows that I always look for when we decide on the tour dates because it is such a highlight. Shows are always made by the audience and how interactive they get with what’s happening on stage. The audiences are great. They get what I’m doing and I really appreciate that.
What can we expect from the new show?
When I was last in Abu Dhabi in March 2012, I was just starting the Notorious World Tour. Some of the material was still being worked out at that time. In the nineteen months since then, I’ve really refined the material and have a lot of new material as well. You always pick up new lines for your act and refine the old ones as you see how different audiences buy into different parts of the routine. Doing a tour is a polishing process, the more you perform the slicker and, in my case funnier, the routine becomes. I’ve been to a lot of new countries since I was last here and I’ve got a lot to say about what I’ve seen on my travels since then, people will get a kick out of those stories. There’s a lot of new material now, so hopefully people who saw the show last time will come again. If you enjoyed it last year you’ll definitely enjoy it again now.
How is the audience in the UAE different from other places you perform?
My job is to pay attention. One of the reasons that I keep performing internationally is because that’s where I get my inspiration. That’s where I see new and different things – as opposed to just performing in the States or Canada. I definitely pay attention to where I am and for sure I acknowledge the specific stereotypes of where I am. Each show is unique across the world, because references and audience reactions are different, and the UAE is no exception.
What’s the most important thing about being a good stand up comic?
Don’t do it for the money or the fame – those are the wrong reasons to get into stand-up. Do it because you have to do it, it’s just who you are naturally and what gets you out of bed in the morning. And don’t think that there are any shortcuts. It takes seven or eight years for a comic to find their voice. I meet young guys and they’ve only been doing stand-up for a year or two and are frustrated because they haven’t ‘made it’. It’s not a race, there’s no finish line. Some of the best comedians I know took a decade to put their act together.
Russell Peters Notorious World Tour is coming to the Du Arena on Wednesday October 23. Tickets from Dhs250-Dhs650. Visit www.thinkflash.ae for more information.
