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Stand-Up in Astana: Artur Afonsu and His Take on Comedy
Stand-Up in Astana: Artur Afonsu and His Take on Comedy
фото - Ерлан Сәду
Continuing our series on regional stand-up, we look into the Astana comedy scene, featuring commentary from comedian Artur Afonsu in this column by Erlan Sadu for The Voice Media.
To start with, it's important to mention that I arrived on a journalistic mission in early June. Having pre-arranged everything with Artur, we hosted a double stand-up concert. It was a resounding success: sold-out, 54 audience members, and unforgettable impressions for both the performers and the guests. It was on the verge of grandeur.
Interestingly, two of the spectators were brought to us by a specially filmed and, I believe, creative advertisement in the spirit of early 2010s Disney TV series.
Interestingly, two of the spectators were brought to us by a specially filmed and, I believe, creative advertisement in the spirit of early 2010s Disney TV series.
Opening for us were Olzhas Kasenov and Galiya Fakhrutdinova. Slava Klochkov hosted, and the whole thing was put together by the Comedy Point stand-up team—huge thanks and major respect to them.
I made good money and collected a bucketful of donations from the crowd. It was an absolute blast, and if you weren't there, you missed out. Still, I noticed that despite the turn-out, a huge chunk of Astana didn't show up. And I'm not just blowing my own horn here—just ask anyone who was there.
I made good money and collected a bucketful of donations from the crowd. It was an absolute blast, and if you weren't there, you missed out. Still, I noticed that despite the turn-out, a huge chunk of Astana didn't show up. And I'm not just blowing my own horn here—just ask anyone who was there.
Trained as a PR specialist in SMM, he worked in the field for about four to five years. He served in the internal editorial team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and spent around five years in television as a producer-correspondent for REN TV, Channel One, and NTV. He also produced a short film. He has been in stand-up for four to five years—a winner of the Moscow Stand-Up League, a former resident at Stand-Up Patriki, head of the Comedy Point organization, and an instructor of comedy improv at Nazarbayev University. On top of that, he spent a year and a half as the art director for Astana’s very first ryumochnaya (shot bar).
A pretty impressive background for a pretty impressive guy: Artur Afonsu. From what I gather, Artur must be at least 21.5 years old on paper—unless he was pulling all this off in parallel as a five-year-old.
Meanwhile, at 23, I can’t exactly boast a life journey quite as rich and bold as a strong cup of coffee.
A pretty impressive background for a pretty impressive guy: Artur Afonsu. From what I gather, Artur must be at least 21.5 years old on paper—unless he was pulling all this off in parallel as a five-year-old.
Meanwhile, at 23, I can’t exactly boast a life journey quite as rich and bold as a strong cup of coffee.
Down to the Nitty-Gritty: Stand-Up in Astana
Personally, I’m not hugely in the loop—I’ve only heard bits and pieces. Artur, on the other hand, has been right in the thick of it.
So, if I may quote him:
— “There isn't that much stand-up here, just as in the north in general. Leaving aside Karaganda, which has grown its own distinct scene, northern cities usually have only one or, at most, two venues. And as for performers, they're extremely few and far between.”
Personally, I’m not hugely in the loop—I’ve only heard bits and pieces. Artur, on the other hand, has been right in the thick of it.
So, if I may quote him:
— “There isn't that much stand-up here, just as in the north in general. Leaving aside Karaganda, which has grown its own distinct scene, northern cities usually have only one or, at most, two venues. And as for performers, they're extremely few and far between.”
Astana offers a lot more in that regard. Right now, there are three venues: Sun Project, StandUp Astana, and Comedy Point—listed in the order they were founded. Newer pop-up venues pop up and fade away after just one or two shows. The reason? It's tough to pull in an audience.
About the Astana Audience
— “The audience is smaller, and drawing a crowd isn't easy because stand-up took off here later than in places like Karaganda or Almaty.
The audience is demanding and leans heavily toward relatable humor—the classic ‘Has this ever happened to you?’ format.
Local crowds tend to hold back their emotions, but that doesn't mean they aren't laughing on the inside. It's just easier for them to walk up to a comedian after the show, shake hands, and say, ‘Brilliant.’
Visiting comedians often find the audience here tough to read and hard to crack.”
— “The audience is smaller, and drawing a crowd isn't easy because stand-up took off here later than in places like Karaganda or Almaty.
The audience is demanding and leans heavily toward relatable humor—the classic ‘Has this ever happened to you?’ format.
Local crowds tend to hold back their emotions, but that doesn't mean they aren't laughing on the inside. It's just easier for them to walk up to a comedian after the show, shake hands, and say, ‘Brilliant.’
Visiting comedians often find the audience here tough to read and hard to crack.”
About the Venues
— “At some point, the StandUp Astana group split off from Sun Project. Until recently, there was an unwritten rule in the comedy scene that performers stuck to a single platform. Our venue, Comedy Point, emerged as an alternative. Anyone can perform with us, regardless of which group they belong to.”
— “Do you enforce conditions like mandatory editing sessions or requiring comedians to bring their own audience?”
— “No, we don't.”
— “And what else do you offer besides traditional stand-up?”
— “Well, we experiment a lot with different comedic styles and formats. We have quite a variety.”
— “Awesome.”
— “Awesome, right. Unlike the other platforms I mentioned, we're on a smaller scale. Audiences outside Astana barely know about us—we're very much a local collective.”
StandUp Astana
— “In my view, it's one of the most heavily promoted communities across the CIS. From what I’ve heard, they're opening their own dedicated stand-up club soon, which should lower the barrier to entry for non-mainstream comedians. But as far as I can tell, that's still unconfirmed.”
Sun Project
— “To be honest, I can't say much about them. They've kind of slipped off my radar.”
On the Impact of Stand-Up in Astana
— “For local venues, hosting stand-up is a major deal—it gives them incredible publicity. Out here, it's become a flagship form of entertainment. So, while drawing a crowd can be tough on one hand, venues offer fantastic support and conditions for stand-up on the other.”
Community Size
— “You could count around 70 actively performing comedians here on a regular basis. Want me to list them?”
— “No need.”
Closing Remarks
To wrap up, we traditionally give our guest the final word:
— “Pursue what brings you joy. May opportunities come when you're truly ready for them. And keep laughing as much as you can.”
— “At some point, the StandUp Astana group split off from Sun Project. Until recently, there was an unwritten rule in the comedy scene that performers stuck to a single platform. Our venue, Comedy Point, emerged as an alternative. Anyone can perform with us, regardless of which group they belong to.”
— “Do you enforce conditions like mandatory editing sessions or requiring comedians to bring their own audience?”
— “No, we don't.”
— “And what else do you offer besides traditional stand-up?”
— “Well, we experiment a lot with different comedic styles and formats. We have quite a variety.”
— “Awesome.”
— “Awesome, right. Unlike the other platforms I mentioned, we're on a smaller scale. Audiences outside Astana barely know about us—we're very much a local collective.”
StandUp Astana
— “In my view, it's one of the most heavily promoted communities across the CIS. From what I’ve heard, they're opening their own dedicated stand-up club soon, which should lower the barrier to entry for non-mainstream comedians. But as far as I can tell, that's still unconfirmed.”
Sun Project
— “To be honest, I can't say much about them. They've kind of slipped off my radar.”
On the Impact of Stand-Up in Astana
— “For local venues, hosting stand-up is a major deal—it gives them incredible publicity. Out here, it's become a flagship form of entertainment. So, while drawing a crowd can be tough on one hand, venues offer fantastic support and conditions for stand-up on the other.”
Community Size
— “You could count around 70 actively performing comedians here on a regular basis. Want me to list them?”
— “No need.”
Closing Remarks
To wrap up, we traditionally give our guest the final word:
— “Pursue what brings you joy. May opportunities come when you're truly ready for them. And keep laughing as much as you can.”