Beyond Breakfast with Shazmin Shamsuddin: cracking up with Rizal Van Geyzel

IF you’ve ever had the joy of being an audience member at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, you’ll know just how irreverent, bawdy and shockingly far some of the jokes can go. Pearl-clutchingly far – but that’s why most people enjoy these shows.

Pre-pandemic, any night of the week would see comedy enthusiasts filling seats to enjoy seasoned local comedians, international acts and comic newbies taking the mic to tickle their funny bone. There’s a comfortable air of familiarity and homeliness that makes this neighbourhood spot a go-to for an enjoyable night out that you don’t have to dress up for.

Crackhouse Comedy Club co-founder and stand up comedian Rizal Van Geyzel has had his work cut out for him trying to stay above water during the last two and a half years in which the pandemic effectively shut down all forms of indoor entertainment. 

On this episode of Beyond Breakfast with Shazmin Shamsuddin, Rizal shares his initial struggles with taking his stand-up comedy online, learning how to Tiktok effectively, and how the pandemic forced him to stop making toasties, upgrade his skills as a pizza-maker, and pivot into the food delivery scene to keep the bill collectors at bay.

He waxes lyrically about how the stand up comedy scene has changed over the last decade, what comics really think about local TV comedy, performing abroad as a Malaysian comedian, and how no media will publish or even say the words ‘Halallujah’ out loud.

Since becoming a full-time comedian in 2013, Rizal has shared the stage with Harith Iskander, Maz Jobrani, the Singapore Queen of Comedy – Kumar, to inevitably becoming one of Malaysia’s most sought after entertainers for corporate and private events locally and regionally.

In April 2014, together with corporate trainer and author, Shankar Santhiram, they opened Malaysia’s first dedicated stand-up comedy club, The Crackhouse Comedy Club KL. The club was one of many landmarks featured on Road To Mandalay, a TV show by UK-based channel BBC 2, starring comedy legends Dara O’Briain and Ed Byrne. 

The hiatus from live performances during the movement control order (MCO) has given Rizal new observations and material for his new hour-long special, ‘Halallujah’, happening at PJPAC in 1 Utama on May  27 and 28 at 9pm.

Tickets are available from RM45 to RM85 and can be purchased on www.onetix.com.my. – The Vibes, May 23, 2022