Standup comedy now a viable career, says Russel Peters

Muscat: People have started to respect the art of standup comedy, Russel Peters, the world famous standup comedian, said.
“It has made its way across the globe. There are stand-up comedy clubs in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur and even Amman, Jordan. Young people in these places now see stand up as a viable career and the people in those cities and countries are starting to respect the art of stand up,” Peters said.
Peters will perform in Muscat as part of his new “Almost Famous World Tour” on February 1, at the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah. The event will be presented by Alive Entertainment and Hi FM.
Peters’ tour has sold more than 150,000 tickets in Canada, where he will become the first comedian to have a sell-out performance at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre for the sixth time and has already been to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia this year.
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When asked how the people in the region are different, compared to people in other parts of the world, when it comes to enjoying comedy, Peters said it amazes him that they are not too different from his North American audiences.
“They get all the references and in many ways, they’re smarter, and have a better world view than (people) back home,” Peters said, adding that his fans know “what to expect from me” and know what he does.
“They come to my shows ready to have a good time. I do my best. I like talking to people, such as my drivers or kids at the mall to learn about the more subtle idiosyncrasies of where I can come in,” Peters added.
Peters also added that people need to laugh most when things are tough.
“Humour gets us through the difficult times,” Peter added.