‘Don’t mean any harm’: Comedian Rizal van Geyzel gets candid about life as a stand-up since arrest, upcoming new shows

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — Ask stand-up comedian Rizal van Geyzel what it’s like spending a night in jail and he’ll respond with a reflective pause and downcast eyes.

“Yeah, I was lucky it was just one night, that’s all I have to say,” he said before breaking into a huge grin with: “If you want to hear more on that, you have to come to the show!”

His one-hour comedy special ARRESTED, which kicked off in Penang last week, will be held at PJ Live Arts Theatre on June 23 and 24 at 9pm with the last show at Chemsain Theatre, Kuching on July 15.

Audiences can expect a no-holds barred performance in the wake of his headline-making arrest after his Crackhouse Comedy Club was shut down for controversial viral clips of performances that allegedly insulted Islam.

Rizal spent a night at the Dang Wangi lockup days after Kuala Lumpur City Hall suspended his club’s operations.

That he’s gone through a lot is an understatement but it’s also made him the most interesting person in the room, which is what any comedian strives to be when they’re performing — the one everyone wants to listen to.

“So, I have an angle you know, I think when it comes to being creative, there’s no bigger inspiration than life,” said the 40-year-old.

He’s more mainstream too, having appeared on TV3 and Harakah Daily, although not in the kind of light he wanted.

“But it’s ok. I’ve always said — this is me eating my own words — that stand-up comedy requires critical thinking and Malaysians need to be more critical in our opinions, gosh I sound like Patrick Teoh now.

“And they were, through me, so I can’t complain, whether they have a good or bad opinion about me, at least they’re thinking.”

Not running his club means he now has more time to spend with his children and travel.

Rizal, who’s a single dad of four with three living with him, is taking his show to Edinburgh Festival in August.

The downside of being under fire is the lingering aftereffect of paranoia, of who’s watching and who’s recording at his shows.

Thankfully, attention from critics has been diverted to a more common enemy in the form of another comedienne but let’s face it, with all the surrounding controversy, there’s never been a more exciting time for stand-up comedy.

Power of stand-up comedy

He has newfound appreciation for what he does, doesn’t take for granted every opportunity to be on stage and is more careful with his choice of words.

“Ultimately, people who come to my shows to watch me live, can feel what my intentions are in five minutes.

“They understand where I’m coming from, that I don’t mean any harm.”

Rizal who’s performed to a 3000-strong audience to as low as just two, said that the power of stand-up comedy is in its ability to blur the lines and push the boundaries of acceptability.

He wants to see it widely accepted on a commercial platform because it’s such a potent artform and language of emotion that rocks the boat.

“Now given what’s happened, it kind of went back a few steps but the good thing is that we get to reassess and look at it again.”

Malaysians, he pointed out, seem to think that comedy comes from a happy place.

It doesn’t because there has to be a problem for something to be funny.

The ancient Greeks designed it to somehow bring topics to the public without getting into trouble with the politicians or authorities, without getting killed, literally.

Rizal’s ARRESTED will be held at PJ Live Arts Theatre on June 23 and 24. — Pic courtesy of Laugh Labs Entertainment

“The laughter is to mask the accusations they were to get if a common man has problems with the politicians,” he said.

“So, the laughter is a reaction and an agreement that such problems exist — that is what every stand-up comedian does.”

Unlike other comics, Rizal likes to bring something personal to his shows, not just all jokes.

The risk is that, especially in Asian culture, it might be seen as airing dirty laundry but it’s real and the more relevant the audience, the more engaged they will be.

“They will have a sense of what I went through and hopefully learn from what I’ve learned, yeah sure it’s funny but they’ll get some perspective out of it.

“Come for a comedy experience but more importantly come for a human experience.”

*Tickets to ARRESTED can be bought at https://www.cloudjoi.com/ and priced at RM68 for normal seats, RM78 for premium seats and RM88 for VIP seats.