On Monday March 26, American comedy mogul Rob Schneider will be taking centre stage at Bremen Teater as part of his world stand-up comedy tour. Known for his recurring roles on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as well as his more recent project, the Netflix show ‘Real Rob’, this is a chance to see an undisputed world star of comedy.
Sourcing your material
Being funny is not all that is needed to be a successful comedian. It takes practice, hardwork and patience. Creating a level of humour that can be turned into a career is a whole other story that Schneider has now perfected and wishes to show his audience.
When it comes to building a show that Schneider is proud of, there is more that goes into it than meets the eye. Although he wouldn’t call it a process, his experience and sense for the comedic has helped him to construct his tour.
“It’s very Bruce Lee. The process is ‘No Process’. Sometimes I write down a subject that I feel has some uncomfortableness about it that needs exploring. Then I let it sit for awhile. But mostly it’s just sparks of inspiration that fall into my head,” Schneider told CPH POST.
“Like a conversation I had while buying shoes from a store clerk where I re-think how I wish the conversation had gone.”
Knowing your audience
Good material can be found in all sorts of places. What makes a good comedian is the ability to know what your audience will like and whether they will react in the same way you did. Once a joke is created, figuring out if it will be a success is the next step.
“Comedy has to come instinctively. You can’t intellectualise it. There has to be a spark,” ,” said Schneider.
“If I really find something that makes me laugh hard, it has a very good chance of making an audience laugh. If it doesn’t? At least I had a good laugh! If you think something could be funny but you are not laughing, then that is intellectualism and not true comedy.”
Important to be confident
Although comedy comes instinctively, there is still an element of thought that needs to go into each performance. It can be a challenge to write jokes that will be understood by a variety of people from all different cultures. Schneider has confidence that his jokes can be appreciated by all.
“If you are worried, you are in trouble. You have to have confidence in your jokes. The audience has to feel relaxed and they can’t be relaxed if they sense that you’re about to start crying and vomiting,” Schneider explained.
“People seem to be fascinated with America and the goings on there – politically and socially. It’s mostly peaceful but that’s not what makes the news.”
Having confidence in your jokes and career is important; however, being on the road can take a toll on even the most experienced of comedians.
“The worst part of being on the road, apart from missing the precious and once in a lifetime childhood of my little girls, is the lack of sleep. It’s very hard to get enough sleep when you are travelling to a different country almost every day. It really takes time away from planning your enemies’ demise,” Schneider joked.
Life off tour
While stand-up comedy is a big aspect of Schneider’s career, there are a lot of other projects going on around him. Touring may take many months, but the work doesn’t stop and, with a little help, Rob can get a lot done.
“I have a very good team of people who are working on the new season of ‘Real Rob’, which is streaming worldwide on Netflix. And the head-writer of the show is amazing … my wife Patricia!” exclaimed Schneider.
“We have several movies in various stages of development. I also have to stay focused on my next performance and make sure I know what country I am really in.”
There are a number of ways to catch some of Rob’s hilarious comedy, but the best way is to hear them live when he makes Copenhagen his stage.
