Being funny is no joke

For him, laughter is gold.

Pacing rapidly back and forth on the stage, Muhammad Fadzri Abd Rashid rattles on, his delivery punctuated by loud guffaws from the audience.

He says that he has been heckled only a handful of times, but other performers have received worse reactions. In one instance, a member of the audience hurled a shoe at a comedian on stage.

"He threatened to throw the other shoe at him after the comedian responded with a witty comeback," says the 28-year-old performer, who prefers to go by his stage name, Fakkah Fuzz.

It can get disappointing when his jokes are not well-received, he says.

"It's one thing when one person doesn't laugh at your joke. "But when 300 people don't laugh, you feel like killing yourself."

He adds that he starts perspiring profusely when such a situation occurs. Soldiering on calmly is the most effective way to smooth over the awkwardness that comes with an unresponsive crowd.

"It's important not to show your nervousness or look scared. Whatever happens, it's your job to bring the room back to a light-hearted mood."

Before becoming a stand-up comedian last year, he worked in a wide variety of jobs, including stuntman and paintball instructor. Mr Fadzri, who holds a diploma in mass communications, says he enjoyed playing the jester from a young age.

"I used to get into trouble at school because I made the class laugh at inappropriate times. "I also made fun of my sister's weight, which I realised was a bad idea after we both grew up."

These days, he hosts a comedy evening every last Friday of the month at Butter Factory, and performs stand-up routines at corporate and public events. He also acts in television shows. Even though successful comedians get laughs from a crowd, they often struggle with a darker side themselves, he reveals. Mr Fadzri says he knows more than a few who, like the late actor Robin Williams, struggled privately with depression.

"I'm not quite sure why it happens. Perhaps it's because they focus so much on making other people laugh that they forget themselves. It's hard to find that balance," he says.

When the news of Williams' suicide broke, Mr Fadzri received a text message from his mother.

"She said: 'If you're going through anything, please let me know.'"

In what could be seen as a perk of the job, he has been approached by women, some of whom have propositioned him boldly.

"But mostly, I attract the wrong type. You don't really know whether they're interested in you for who you really are, or because they are in love with what they see on stage," says the talkative man, who is single. His pet peeve is when dinner is served while he is performing, typically at corporate events.

"Everyone is busy stuffing their faces, they don't pay any attention to what you're saying! Of course you won't get a good response." He now makes sure event organisers give him a more conducive slot.

Inspiration for jokes can come from anywhere, but he mostly gets them when bantering with friends, often about current issues and social observations.

"I'm always ready with a notebook or my phone to jot down a joke," says Mr Fadzri, whose pet topics are race, family and religion. And if you think that telling jokes is easy money, he would tell you otherwise. He's got an hour's worth of material memorised - the big guns have about four or five hours' worth.

When we asked him if it pays to be a stand-up comedian in Singapore, he would say only that his gigs, along with his acting, hosting and singing performances are "enough to pay the rent and give money to mum".

Ever the comedian, he says: "Enough money to eat, but not enough to eat lobster."

The stand-up comedy community here is rather small. Mr Fadzri estimates that there are fewer than 10 full-time local stand-up comedians. But he is determined to keep going.

"It may sound like a cliche, but it's the passion. I'm a fan of the craft of stand-up and show business," he says.

"There's an adrenaline rush every time I go on stage. And there's just nothing more beautiful than a hit new joke."

Secrets of the trade

1 Having a planned sequence of jokes is great, but don't get so caught up with structure that you lose all flexibility.

2 The key to success is in how you tell the jokes. Write them down and also watch others perform.

3 Don't expect to get paid on your first job. You've got to do a host of free gigs before landing your first paid one.

This article was first published on September 28, 2014.
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