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Nearly 500 comedy lovers flocked to Al Areen Palace and Spa to watch stand-up comedian Max Amini perform new and classic bits from his repertoire for a night of unforgettable laughs.
The Iranian-American comedian and actor who has been active on the global stand-up circuit for the last 18 years, saw his fame skyrocket 12 years ago, when one of his bits talking about the behavioural nuances of Middle-Eastern mothers titled Tomato Juice went viral.
During the show, the 38-year-old performed the bit again to a crowd going berserk with laughter, as a sea of phones recorded the moment.
During a post-show interview with GulfWeekly, Max said: “It was very interesting re-performing that bit. First off, I felt great because even though they knew the bit, the audience was thoroughly enjoying it. It feels great knowing that people remember and love that to this day. It also inspires you as an artist to keep creating and write material that really resonates with people.”
While other stand-ups like the recent Maz Jobrani show focused on the comedian’s pre-rehearsed bit, Max’s performance involved more crowd-work. The comedian got to know members of the audience and caricatured them, which then became personas and metaphors for the rest of the show.
Max’s Bahrain show, organised by Hollywood Pop up Comedy Club (HPCC) and Wanasa Time, who had also helped organise the Maz Jobrani show, was opened by stand-up newcomer, actress, model and Max’s mentee Estrella Nouri.
This is the second time that Max has performed in Bahrain, having done a show in the kingdom four years ago.
During a pre-show interview, Max commented: “Bahrain has always been terrifically nice, warm, friendly and family-oriented. The Middle East in general is very warm and hospitable but in Bahrain, I felt an extra connection. With regards to my material, it seemed like they knew my jokes and it resonated personally with them. My Tomato Juice was enjoyed as I performed it again then and I did not realise that I had this much love in Bahrain.
“While every artist has a clear perspective, I have often stayed away from political humour. I am a very observational type of comic, so family or social topics are where I thrive. I prefer to push the envelope there and I do a lot of improvisation.
“I generally don’t like to plan too much of my show out in advance. I have a few bits, the opening and the conclusion charted out but for the most part, I like to read the room and be in the moment. Whatever is happening in the moment, we talk about it. For me, stand-up is about connecting with the audience. For instance, if someone is wearing a funny hat, we talk about the hat and it becomes a conversation.”
Max’s performance often finds him calmly and entertainingly navigating uncomfortable situations. One of his popular clips show a conversation he had on-stage with the husband of one of his fans, while another performance was on a cruise ship for a room full of police officers who thoroughly enjoyed being ribbed and roasted by the raucous entertainer.
Max has entertained at a range of venues over the years, recently performing in Canada, the UK, UAE, Germany, Australia and throughout the US, regularly performing at Comedy Store and Laughter Factory in Los Angeles.
“In Bahrain, I do a different type of material than in an all-American comedy club. For example, here, I talked specifically about the flies.
“Coming from a Middle Eastern background but raised in America, I have been blessed to have a very dynamic viewpoint. I have also emulated some of the best story-tellers around me. My dad, for example was a great storyteller. Sometimes, I’d tell him that if he got into stand-up, he would do much better than me. He was always the life of the party.”
Max pays homage to his late father by donating all proceeds from his merchandise to a grassroots fundraising campaign that his father used to work towards, along with his friends. A few of Max’s family friends collect the proceeds, adding in funds themselves and during an annual trip to Iran, invest in clothes, toys and education for struggling families.
His show is the first of many planned for 2020, with more coming soon, one around the F1 season and another in time for Eid, organised and promoted by HPCC and Wanasa Time.
Ron Senkowski, who has previously worked on top movies like Toy Story and now owns and runs Hollywood Pop-up Entertainment, said: “Having worked in the region to shoot some movies, I noticed there are not many English comedy clubs, so we opened one in Beirut. Now we want to bring some of the top world-class comedians to the region and give them venues across the MENA region to record their specials.”
