Who are you?
I am René van Meurs, a 23 year old Dutch stand-up comedian. One of six comedians who are storming the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year with the Amsterdam Underground Comedy Collective. I have been doing stand-up since 2006, joined Comedytrain (Holland’s famous Comedy Collective) in 2008 and this year is my first run on the Fringe.
What is your show about?
Basically it’s an hour of the finest Dutch stand-up comedy, performed in English of course. The Amsterdam Underground Comedy Collective did the Fringe for two years now, and they have definitely raised the bar for us. The first run, back in 2007, had Holland’s mega comedy stars on board, with The Times even picking Hans Teeuwen to be the find of the festival. In 2008 Hans Teeuwen and colleague Micha Wertheim did two hour-long shows, but this year it’s back to stand-up comedy line-ups. The team consists of six comedians, all young and upcoming talents on Holland’s comedy scene. You won’t recognize any of our names, don’t even try to pronounce them, but trust me: we are ever so funny.
Is comedy international? Or is comedy lost in translation?
It’s definitely an international thing, I mean, we all laugh at little kids being chased by chickens, slipping and falling with their faces in horsepoo… or old ladies tripping over their own boobs or men getting hit in the sack by the boomerang they threw themselves… right? Especially when it’s being exaggerated with those funny squeaky sounds. Those things, and especially the sounds, are international.
But indeed, it is difficult to perform in a different language than your own. So in a certain way, it’s like the Paralympics of comedy. But Dutch people have always been very good when it comes to their languages, so don’t try to outsmart us by putting on some fake accent. Nine out of ten times, we recognize it as being fake, imitate it and then use it against you.
Besides it’s not really about the jokes being funny. It’s more the person on stage that has to be funny himself. If the one on stage is funny, he can make everything funny… just by speaking his (funny) mind. So in a way, translation doesn’t really come into play on stage, but more while you prepare.
Why are Dutch people funny?
Drugs, mainly. And because we have all been hit in the head by a windmill wearing wooden clogs, carrying tulips while aborting a baby.
No, Holland is a country with few taboos left. That makes it possible to say almost about everything. It gives comedians the opportunity to really speak their mind and let their audiences know what they think, what bothers them and what makes them tick. And I don’t mean that it has to be a political or social. Anything goes, there’s not much left that you can do that makes an audience hate you. Because of the freedom of speech, nothing should be held back, which allows you to make everything funny.
Who are better at telling jokes, the Dutch or Brits?
Dutch comedians generally outplay their British colleagues when it comes to performing in Dutch. But obviously, that’s a clear thing. But on the other hand, Dutch comedians performing in English… that actually works out quite well (as we will prove). As a matter of fact, I like to challenge anyone to come see us Dutch guys perform in English and then have their say.
How do you come up with the jokes that form your stand-up routine?
Again, drugs, mainly. Honestly? I’m not a regular when it comes to drugs. I like the occasional beer, but that’s about it. When I come to think of it, especially for a Dutch guy, I’m more of a stand-up comedian light.
I can only speak for myself, but most of my bits actually happened to me the way I tell them on stage. I’m not much of a political comedian, more an observational one with a slight twist of absurdism. So basically everything I do, see or hear can make out quite the funny material.
Finally, can you tell us a typical Dutch joke?
I don’t think there’s much of a typical Dutch joke. I do remember this ‘mop’ (as we call jokes in Dutch) from the time I was a kid. Everyone used to tell it and it would always make everyone burst into laughter.
“Ik ken nog een goeie mop… twee tieten in een envelop.”
Which literally translates as: “I know this really good joke… a pair of tits in an envelope.”
Haha, I still love it. I admit, it is crazy to put tits in an envelope, but I guess that used to be a typical Dutch tradition. Maybe we should introduce that in Edinburgh.
IN FIVE WORDS
Favourite thing about your show?
Let Brits burst into laughter
Favourite thing about the Festival?
Being able to perform abroad.
Where can we find you when you’re not performing?
In the Underbelly’s bar, drinking.
What are you most looking forward to once it’s all over?
Using my own language again.
René van Meurs and the Amsterdam Underground Comedy Collective are playing at the Underbelly from the 6th till the 30th (not 17th) at 21:30.
Adrian G. Velazquez
