Review | Stand-Up Tbilisi: Humour at a time of political crisis

3.5/5★

The grassroots Stand-Up Tbilisi comedy collective is back after a nearly six-month hiatus.

‘Humour is a coping mechanism’, Venero Melua says, opening her stand-up set. ‘When I’m happy, I don’t need to joke about it — I’m just happy. I make jokes when things go south’.

It’s an honest and fitting overview for an evening that attempts to find laughter in the midst of tension.

Melua is one of a handful of Georgian comedians — in addition to one from Belarus — performing at the latest open-mic night organised by Stand-Up Tbilisi, a grassroots comedy collective. Their last show was back in November, on the same evening protests erupted in the capital after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the halting of the country’s EU membership bid. That night, they left the stage — and their jokes — behind. After nearly six months of silence, the comedians are finally back. And while there’s a certain nervousness in the air, the energy is unmistakably electric.

The venue is packed. It’s located just a few minutes from the Georgian Parliament, where daily protests have become the new normal. Indeed, organisers moved the show two hours earlier than usual so that both performers and audience members could still attend the evening protests on Rustaveli Avenue.

Friends, family members, and comedy fans fill the space to witness the long-awaited, bittersweet return of the event. One of the comedians, however, Onise Tshkadadze, is notably absent, having been detained by the Georgian Dream government on charges of participating in violence.

It’s a rainy May evening in Tbilisi, and while everyone’s mind is half-elsewhere — on politics, on worry — something shifts when host Saba Khaplanishvili takes the stage. With a warm, slightly awkward charm, he eases the crowd into the night, joking with audience members and setting the tone for what’s to come.

The opener, a comic from Belarus, shares how he moved to Georgia to escape an autocratic regime — only to find himself once again in the thick of political unrest.

‘Not a great choice, after all’, he jokes, to a mix of laughter and knowing sighs.

The jokes throughout the evening are a mix of observational, political, and self-deprecating. Some land hard, others miss by a beat — you can tell the performers are a little out of practice. Open Mic nights are usually test runs with the audience, where comedians can try out their jokes, before writing and rewriting them — and some participants have a lot to write. While the women in the line up are prepared and quick-witted, you can tell the men are struggling, except Khaplanishvili, who keeps the momentum alive between sets, bridging routines with witty commentary and crowd interactions.

During the break, you can feel a shift — people seem more at ease, conversations flowing more freely. Maybe humour is a good coping mechanism, after all.

The night’s headliner is Niniko Lekishvili — a documentary filmmaker and arguably the most recognisable face in Georgian stand-up. With years of experience in Tbilisi and London and razor-sharp timing, Niniko’s set effortlessly moves from political commentary to personal tales of dating in a time of crisis.

‘One of my exes turned to an audience-favourite hero during the protests, but before that he ghosted me. So men will be heroes and still be bad at dating’, she tells the audience, leaving them intrigued without revealing the name of the infamous ex.

Her delivery is smooth, her connection with the audience palpable. By the time she wraps up, she’s earned more than a few belly laughs and a warm round of applause.

As the show ends, people begin to drift back outside. There’s a subtle shift in atmosphere — a collective ‘waking up’ from a brief moment of escapism. Some light cigarettes. Others check their phones. A few head off toward the protests. Perhaps they’ll be back next week, ready for another dose of bittersweet humour.

If you haven’t yet been to a stand-up show in Tbilisi — go. Support local humour. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe (in the best way), and maybe even forget — for an hour or two — that everything's on fire. Stand-Up Tbilisi hosts weekly shows in Georgian, English, and sometimes a mix of both. They don’t have a permanent venue, so follow them on Instagram to find out where they’re popping up next.

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