Papa CJ set to present Still Standing up, a comedy show which will surprise you
The best pieces of art are often created when there’s no structure — when you simply follow your instincts. Sometimes, you enter the creative process with a vision, only to leave the room disappointed by the different course it takes. But creating from intuition comes with deep confidence, conviction, and years of experience. The outcome can be incredibly liberating, revealing new dimensions of your artistic journey.
Still Standing Up, an improv comedy show
Papa CJ, a name synonymous with pioneering English stand-up comedy in India, returns with a new show titled Still Standing Up. “This show is a way of telling the world that I’m still standing tall in the stand-up scene,” he says.
Unlike most performers, Papa CJ comes to this show without a script, excited to see where his interaction with the audience leads. He doesn’t call it crowd work — it’s a mix of jokes and spontaneous conversations. With a vast bank of material built over 20 years of comedy, he draws from it as needed. “It’s not just the first row I interact with. I walk around the auditorium, so no one is safe. If someone’s phone rings during the show, I usually take it, put it on speaker, hold it to the mic, and then enjoy the chaos between the caller and the person who owns the phone,” he says, in a classic dead-pan style.
When asked if he ever blanks out on stage while improvising, Papa CJ laughs, “I’ve been doing comedy too long for that. If something doesn’t work, I’ll just say, ‘That was shit, wasn’t it?’— and that releases the tension. People laugh, and I follow up with, ‘Don’t worry, I’m a professional. I got this.’ And then I bring it back.”
Papa CJ ventured into stand-up comedy after attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. An MBA graduate from London, he’s also a leadership coach and author. It was at the festival that he fell in love with comedy and decided to pursue it full-time. After performing shows in London that resonated with Indian sensibilities, audiences began calling him Papa — a name he found catchy and great for branding.
Though very much active in the comedy scene, he prefers live stand-up to the pressures of social media. “I didn’t leave the corporate world to enter a creative one only to get caught in a different kind of rat race. So no, I’m not spending my time making Instagram videos,” he says.
Having performed across the world, Papa CJ says that it is very important to understand the sensibilities of each audience. “In the UK, the audience is very race sensitive. In Southeast Asia, you have to be a little aggressive, ‘poke’ them sometimes, to get a reaction,” he concludes.
Tickets at `1,299.
July 27, 8 pm.
At Artistry, Hitech City.
Email: ananyadeval.m@newindianexpress.com
X: @indulgexpress
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