Building a strong presence in Malaysia’s stand-up comedy scene, Rizal van Geyzel is well-known to be the co-founder of Malaysia’s first and longest-running comedy club, The Crackhouse Comedy Club Kuala Lumpur.
Our team had a casual interview with him and here’s the story of his interesting journey.
Q1: Where did you get the idea of running a stand-up comedy club?
Rizal: I had a 9-5 job in a hotel chain for about 5 years. It was lots of fun, but I did not feel like I was serving anyone’s purpose. Then, I started out as a comedian at Open Mind Night in 2010 and 3 years later, I decided to turn it into my full-time job. In the first few years, when me and my partners, we used borrowed venues such as restaurants, cafés, and places that were not really conducive to perform a live comedy show.
In 2014, we decided to have a place that we could call our own. It should be built comedy-centric and serve as a place to encourage or breed new talents. And that became The Crackhouse Comedy Club.
Q2: What are the challenges in starting your stand-up comedy business in Malaysia?
Rizal: I noticed that there is no precedence when it comes to live stand-up comedy. We have to create our own scene, and we have to create our own industry. There’s no exposure on commercial media or any of these big platforms. There was none.
Q3: Seeing that stand-up comedy is a young market in Malaysia, why did you still choose to venture into comedy in Malaysia?
Rizal: The team and I wanted a place where Malaysians could stand out in the global comedy community. Many international comedians gathered in Malaysia, and we wanted them to see how fun a diverse Malaysian audience can be at the comedy show.
I also think that Malaysians are always the ones when it comes to cracking jokes and sharing our stories during our regular Mamak session. It has become a part of our culture, and I think that the world needs to see this.
Q4: When people talk about entertainment, people tend to think of cinemas, karaoke, etc. Stand-up comedy might not be the first thing that comes to their mind. How do you actually build this awareness about stand-up comedy to promote your business?
Rizal: Yes, stand-up comedy is still a new thing in Malaysia. The idea of listening to one person speak especially about broad-minded topics as well as being vulnerable, naive, and open on stage is new to Malaysians. I think “word-of-mouth” is definitely the best when it comes to something as edgy and experimental as stand-up comedy.
Social media helps with “word-of-mouth.” The people who come to our comedy shows now, they know what to expect because of the reputation we have in the local community. Even until today, 7 years since The Crackhouse Comedy Club ever started its operation, we are still getting first-time customers coming in to watch our shows, which is a good sign. It means that we are uncovering layers and layers in our audience demographic.
Q5: How would you describe your company’s success so far?
Rizal: I would say that the fact that we have been successfully running a very small-scale intimate room that is very much stand-up comedy-centric. When we first started, stand-up comedy was new, and the nature of the show itself is uncensored, confrontational.
But for 7 years running, I think it is probably thanks to the comedians who had dedicated their time and perhaps even their dignity to level up their game. The people have been so supportive, we have regulars that have been here since the very start, and we also have new regulars that just discovered us and want to keep coming back. So, I think the successes would probably be towards the comedians that run this place. And also, our loyal audience. All these have contributed to our success so far.
Getting Personal with Rizal
Q6: What is your philosophy towards work?
Rizal: I would say it is to be FUN, always. Especially if you’re doing something for yourself, running your own business, doing something following your dreams, it has to be fun. You have to always find joy in it. There was once this person who told me that if it’s not fun anymore, you shouldn’t be doing it. And I agreed. The minute it feels like work, you know you’ll need to stop and think about it again. Because this is a job that is supposed to help other people leave stigmas.
Q7: How do you prioritise your work initiatives as a comedian?
Rizal: It’s a bit difficult for me because I have to play both sides. On one hand, I’m a comedian, I’m a performer, and on another, I’m a business owner that promotes comedy and hires comedians. So, it is pretty tough, I have to say.
Many people say that the artist and the business should never be mixed, but I focused a lot on this place because I think what comedy does is bigger than me, bigger than who I am. So, a lot of my priorities will always go to The Crackhouse Comedy Club. Me, my own career as a comedian always comes second. When I think about it, it is very sad for me, but putting in the work for the latter helps me sustain my life as the former.
Q8: How do you prioritise your work initiatives as a comedian?
Rizal: I would say personally it was performing with Douglas Lim at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for one month straight. I got a taste of what it was like to perform in a developed country where stand-up comedy had been a part of the culture for many years.
Q9: To wrap up, what’s your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Rizal: Always have fun. There’s uncertainty when you’re on your own.