What to do in Riyadh

I really appreciate your effort

hey pass...nice information u passed

Good info, Pass.. but may I suggest that you paste this information into one of the many other threads we have about what to do in Riyadh rather than start your own thread?

Thanks!

For the outdoor types who own 4X4's and who are ino geo/GPS stuff the Degree Confluence Point may be of some interest

http://confluence.org/index.php

thanks for the info. where do u watch stand up comedies?

I do stand up comedy here now and then and I would definitely want to do it there. (And yes, there are a ton of follow up one liners to that sentence, but since this is public, I'll leave it at the question of) ---WHERE is stand up comedy done in Riyadh?

we all are a bunch of comedians here...the comedy is done right here--->https://www.expat.com

The main comedy organisation is Smile KSA. They run fabulous events, with international and locally based performers at there events.  I know they hold periodic auditions for people who think they have what it takes to do comedy.

To date all they've had mixed audiences but only male performers.

At a Smile event I went to a few months ago they were calling for audience volunteers to tell a 1 min joke.  A women volunteered and the MC was enthusiastic about having her get up on stage, but she got nervous and pulled out.  So I believe they are fine with the idea of female comedians.

Yes, every few months Smile does something but unfortunately I've been out of the country each time so was never able to attend

Any website to approach these smile team?

i want to give an audition

r u sure nauman.......??u r not even funny

nonz wrote:

r u sure nauman.......??u r not even funny

well, that's funny

Regardless, may I suggest a book by Judy Carter, called "The Stand Up Comedy Bible" or her first book, "The Stand Up Comedy Workbook"? Those books are the foundational materials that every stand up comedy workshop or class uses in NYC or LA. Judy Carter works out of L.A. and her books would make anyone funnier. She was on Oprah. A lot of people read her books b/c the books themselves are funny, or the reader wants to do stand up comedy (or just be able to tell jokes better).  She says it makes life easier & enhances our days, to see the humor in every day things, and especially in dark times when we need humor the most.  I agree. She's the comedy guru here and taught a class just yesterday, and she's brilliant. Hope you can get the book(s) there. Enjoy!

ya...nonz can be a stand up comedian!

so at least I got some scope in it

You know.. working up a routine for Smile from an expat's point of view could be a REAL hoot.  Maybe I'll do it. 

Submit your jokes and oneliners to me and I'll perform them and claim them as my own.  Thank you for your cooperation.

nonz wrote:

r u sure nauman.......??u r not even funny

You might be true... but your judging a bit early may be

but still i wanna give audition...

Allie, I hope you can do what Prez Obama did last week? He gave Jay Leno a run for his money.

meetnauman,

Say, get the Stand Up Comedy books (or take the class/workshop and you'll be on your way) Although I have never seen a comic get up without some form of professional preparation first, and do well, maybe you can. Thing is, why? It's fun to prepare!   At most workshops you do the workbook stuff, brainstorm with other comics and tweak things and make them funnier. The "work" is fun. I don't know if you get Saturday Night Live or the Jay Leno show over there, but some of the comics I have worked with are on that show, or were, and every one of them was in her class. It's a blast to help each other out.

Of course ALLIE, we never steal others jokes as that is a cardinal sin. (Kinda is)

But I love that you are so cheerfully open about the comedy theft and lack of attribution. ( I often tell people who've made good one liners, that their joke is worthy of my stealing...hey, it's a compliment!!) Ah, Excellent approach...Here's how you sneak around that small ethical wrinkle. You quietly preface the hilarious material you've stolen, with something muttered incoherently like  "oh I heard someone else say that..." and then loudly launch into the other comic's  material. IT only works for awhile as eventually you'll be stuck having to actually DO your own stuff. (People who don't write their own stuff are not technically doing stand up) But it can get you invites to those elusive embassy parties. People like to invite free entertainment, trust me.

Speaking of comedy thieves...One night I was featuring for a headliner and at the 2nd show, the guy going before me (the opener from the night before) had a drink (or 9), and then told me one of MY OWN JOKES at the bar!! Hello?? That's MY STUFF YOU FOOL!! 

When the headliner heard that, he kicked him out b/c he didn't want HIS own material taken too. It Happens but is a big dealbreaker & career ender if you get caught. And outside of small clubs, you WILL be caught b/c it's not that big a group of people who do this and even fewer women.

You can usually get ideas from others that start you on your own version of material, which is fine.  Everyone knows airplane travel, inlaws, differences between men and women, are almost cliched topics but they do provide a lot of material.  IT's not copying to take a topic, and make it your own.  Worn out topics are harder b/c the great comics have squeezed out most of the jokes already.

But Good grief Allie, the sheer absurdity & incongruity of life for an American woman in  KSA is very good fodder. With the observations you've made,--  you'd love the books/class  b/c there are exercises in it that would help you structure your own thoughts and observations into a pattern of humor. Make sense? And fyi, you can hire Judy for phone consults or skype, seriously. OMG that would be a great idea. We could get a small class arranged for it, I'm serious. SHE Would get a kick out of that.  Look up Judycarter comedy workshops.com (something like that) as she has a good website and keeps you on track with your time too.

Hey, get the books and I promise you'll laugh and you will have the material that's already in your head, changed into the right format. It's one thing to tell a funny story at the water cooler, but it's another to get a laugh every 15 seconds for 10-20 minutes, or 75 min if you are headlining.

Geez, I sound like I'm teaching Judy's class or getting a commission, which I am not. Okay, lesson for today is over, no charge.

Hi again!

i found out that there are lots to do like "KARTING, BOWLING, PAINTBALL" which is really cool!!!

i got the information from The Riyadh Guide blog!
rgyy.blogspot.com

my hubby went to the PAINTBALL with his friends they were around 20 guys! he said it was great! a bit painfull lol

Hey Pass,

thanks! I can't say I know what "karting" is unless it's driving a little "go cart"? Like a small car? But I do know paintball and bowling. Good. Hey I just wondered, women can do these things too, right? Anyhow,
Thanks.