Comenius was the Moravian ‘father of education’; Comedius is the Brno portal for creativity – from comedy shows to writing workshops to monthly open mic nights.
If you’re looking to schedule some fun, creativity, and inspiration in your life, the next few months promise an exciting array of comedy shows, open mic nights, and writing workshops. Attending live events is an entertaining and fantastic way to support local artists and foster a vibrant creative community. Writing workshops, meanwhile, provide practical skills, inspiration, and networking opportunities for writers of all levels.
So whether you are a fan of stand-up comedy, want to hone your writing craft, or love unpredictable performances, Comedius offers something for nearly everyone. So mark the following in your calendar and join the celebration of creativity in Brno!
‘Straight Talking’ with Turan Ali (19 September, Desert)
Turan Ali is an acclaimed stand-up comedian and outrageous storyteller. His material makes sense of having a Turkish Muslim father, an Austrian Catholic mother, growing up in London, going to a Jewish school, and being proudly gay. But not all parts of his world cope so well with that pride. In this solo show, Straight Talking, he shines a light on some of the crazy ways heterosexuals run their lives and relationships and surprises audiences with many things he claims straights can learn from gays.
The show takes place this Friday at Desert. Tickets are CZK 250 in advance or CZK 300 on the door.
Brian Tynan and Teddy Hall (21 October)
We all have (or had) parents…and most of them screwed us up, even just a little! Join Brian Tynan and Teddy Hall as they dig into their own “Daddy Issues” – the quirks, the questions and the absurd moments that come with fathers (or lack thereof). From bad advice to bizarre habits, nothing’s off limits, except therapy.
Comedius Writing Workshops
Writing for Humans is back, with a second season of four workshops on how to be a better writer, led by Joe Lennon, a poet and essayist who has taught creative writing for over 20 years. Each workshop will look at some principles of good writing, and then put them into practice with a few generative writing exercises. You will leave each workshop with a start on your next story, poem, or essay (or genre-bending experiment). Each workshop has a different theme:
- October: Writing great sentences
- December: Writing about your own experience
- February: Voicing very different characters
- April: Creating surprise in your story.
Workshops are CZK 300 each, or CZK 1000 for all four, at the Brno Expat Centre on the second Tuesday of the month. Space is limited; contact czechcomedius@gmail.com to sign up.
Monthly Open-Mic Nights
Comedius open-mic nights are on the final Friday of nearly every month (double check the Comedius Facebook page to be sure!) This is an open stage for anything: stand-up comedy, storytelling, poetry recitation, acting, reading, singing, magic, burlesque, juggling… all they ask is for you not to be racist, sexist, or otherwise horrible!
Priority is given to performance over reading. All performances are the responsibility of the performer (no music or props are provided). Maximum ten minutes per person. Put your name in the hat or pay the 50-crown cover charge, which goes to the brave entertainers! The show starts at 8pm in the back room at Kavarna Trojka.
