Senan Deniz Hava – On a rainy evening in London, exhausted and leaving work late, I received a call from Yunus, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. The first thing he said was, “Are you ready, my friend? WE’RE STARTING.”
Yunus had been strategizing in his head to establish Lemonade Comedy Club, the first Turkish comedy club in London. While forming his team, he employed a clever strategy: he brought together two professional female comedians, Tuba and Öykü; a professional actor, Orhan; perhaps the most recognized name in London’s Turkish YouTube scene, Erşah; and, for a wild card, he added me—the “naturally funny” friend he knew from social circles—hoping, “Maybe it’ll work.”
When the day of the first performance arrived, I found myself on stage with just two or three pages of material, the most inexperienced person there, and the first one up. I started reading from my notes, trying to deliver what I thought were very funny jokes, but nobody was laughing. The audience was frozen. What I was saying didn’t resonate with them, and I learned my first lesson: for an amateur comedian, the biggest mistake is trying to deceive the audience. I tore up my notes and said, “I don’t think this is working; I’m just going to tell it straight.” A couple sitting in the front gave me advice, “Tell a funny story that happened to you.” So, I started recounting an absurd experience I had in Italy. People began to laugh, and then they laughed at everything else I said. I had made peace with the audience, and that day I learned my first lesson: no matter how funny your jokes or how amusing you are, you need to establish a genuine connection with the audience first.
Later, another comedian named Ruşen Tuzcu joined the team. Ruşen is an important figure in the underground stand-up scene and was one of the first to bring this culture from London to Turkey back in 2013-14. In one of our shows in March, he and I went on stage back-to-back, and we truly owned the night. It was an incredible evening—after I introduced myself, the audience burst into laughter at every line I delivered. It was such an amazing night that I sent Ruşen a message when I got home: “Dude, I think I’m getting aroused right now.” Honestly, the feeling you get after a great performance is like this: think of the best sex you’ve ever had and multiply it by ten. I don’t even want to describe what it’s like after a terrible performance.
In this short journey (just eight months), I’ve performed on stage 16-17 times, opened for a professional comedian, and participated in open mics in three different countries (England, Germany, and Turkey). But somehow, it feels like everything is just starting now. IF YOU’RE READY, LET’S GO!