Meet Carmine Rodi, an Italian making waves in Prague. By day, he’s a trainer and lecturer, but he’s also taken the plunge into the world of Czech comedy. In our conversation, we explore what sparked Carmine’s interest in stand up, discuss Prague’s top comedy venues, and unravel the unique charm of Czech humour.

How did you first get involved in stand up?

I went to watch a lot of live comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, before that I had only experienced the big TV or YouTube stars. I realized the best stand up happens in smaller pubs, where a comedian can interact with the audience. I found it very relatable and thought it was something I could try.

Is stand up popular in the Czech Republic?

I have a somewhat limited view because I mainly perform on the “Comedy Prague” circuit, where the stand up is all in English, but the Czech comedy scene is definitely growing. Our shows mainly attract expats, as well as Czechs who want to experience an evening out in an international environment.

What kinds of things make Czech people laugh?

My experiences as an Italian living in Prague go down quite well: food, public transport, social situations, love life, and so on. I am married to a Czech, which gives me an insight into the local culture and its contradictions. People can laugh at stereotypes when they are mild and not too heavy handed. Telling jokes about a culture is a great way to show appreciation and understanding. People tend to feel flattered when they are made fun of, which is interesting to witness.

How would you describe Czech humour?

Czechs love their own culture, but they are also aware the Czech Republic is a small country in the middle of Europe, so they don’t have a lot of national pride (which is something I like).

In all the central European countries people seem OK with dark jokes. Perhaps because history has been particularly tough in these regions, so people feel like “a joke is a joke. As long as you don’t bring in tanks and barbed wire again, it’s fine”.

Are there any topics that are off limits in the Czech Republic?

Not that I have experienced. As already mentioned, Czech humour tends to be quite dark, and Czechs are very open minded – or at least, the audiences who go to stand up are. I think an audience has a collective intelligence; they are all there to have a good time and understand a comedian has to test different things.

What are the best venues in Prague for stand up comedy?

I recommend people visit the Comedy Prague website, and check out “Comedy Prague” and “Velvet Comedy” on Facebook. I perform with these groups and they run several successful shows around the city. In general I recommend smaller clubs, where the audience and the performers can share a personal connection. That’s stand up at its best for me.

Is there much of a comedy scene outside of Prague?

I am aware of smaller scenes in Olomouc and Brno (where I performed once). There are definitely fewer shows, but as far as I can tell they are well-attended and the response is enthusiastic.

Are there any Czech comedians you particularly enjoy?

My Czech is not that good so I don’t tend to follow many Czech comedians. My knowledge of Czech comedy is mostly limited to English performers. I genuinely enjoy (in no particular order) the Czech humour of Lucie Macháčková, Kristýna Haklová, Lukáš Stejskal, Aleš Houra, and Martin Filippi.

A few years ago you wrote a viral blog post about living in Prague. Can you tell us about it?

At the time I was mostly blogging for friends, but that post really put me on the map. Bára, my wife, kept saying people would love to hear my observations about living in Prague. So, one Friday night, I started writing a “10 things” list. It was a collection of funny (I thought) and semi-serious observations about the life of an expat in Prague. Things like food, cultural differences, the naked sauna experience, political life. It turned out I had really hit on something and in a couple of days it went viral. It was getting hundreds of thousands of clicks, people were talking about it in the metro and at the post office.

I have been writing for four years now and that post remains my biggest hit in the blogosphere, it still receives around 200 clicks a day. One family from the US linked it on their wedding website (they were getting married in Prague). It even has its own subreddit!

Is there anything you’d add to that post if you were writing it again now?

Umm… some of the points do feel outdated. The political scene, for example, or how the economic boom is affecting everybody’s life (the rent and property prices keep rising insanely). These things were not so clear to me back then — and they have great comedy potential.

Finally, what motivates you to continue living in Prague and performing comedy?

Well, I am married and I have bought a flat here with a mortgage for the next 350 years or so. Plus we have just had a baby, so it’s not like I am going anywhere. Life in Prague is just great at the moment and I am enjoying every minute of it; especially now it’s summer and the city is less busy because everybody has gone to Croatia. As for stand up, I just find it so much fun. It’s a creative outlet which has helped me to make a great group of friends. And it’s definitely cheaper than therapy so I think I am in it for the long run!

*Head over to Carmine’s Facebook page to find out more about his comedy