Mouthy Pop-Up Stage Features Russian-Language Comedians

From September 2nd to 8th, the Mouthy pop-up stage will host a week of Russian-language stand-up comedy. Talented comedians from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia will take the stage. The Russian-language comedians' week is part of the Tallinn Fringe Festival and is supported by the British Council.

"It is an honor and a pleasure to bring talented Russian-speaking comedians to Estonia and contribute to the growth and development of the stand-up scene," says program director Jana Levitina. "Laughter has a unique ability to bring people closer, and I am confident that this program will create a stronger community that shares European values with Russian-speaking artists and audiences."

Throughout the week, various comedians living in Estonia and abroad, originally from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, will perform on the Mouthy Pop-Up stage. Among them are artists who have voluntarily left their homeland or have been forced to move to another country due to war and authoritarian regimes. The programme aims to give these artists a platform to perform and to support the creation of a network among Russian-speaking comedians.

A significant part of the program includes the Fem Stand-Up Club, based in Poland and created in honor of Zośka Vieras, consisting mainly of female performers from Belarus, as well as Tallinn's collective Pussy Jam Comedy. Additionally, the program features performances such as "Standup Berlin" by Berlin-based comedians Dinara Kerey and Evelina Emir-Ali, "A (not)Mexican (not)Vacation" by Laura Lopez and Jana Levitina, the stand-up concert "Legalization" by Mikhail Grevtsov and Egor Fufachev, and much more. All performances are in Russian.

The Mouthy pop-up stage was specially built for Tallinn Fringe and will be open until September 8th. The stage was created with the goal of providing an additional platform for emerging artists to perform and to introduce the audience to new, rising comedians. The Mouthy pop-up stage is located in the Kopli Couture space at Telliskivi Creative City.

Programme: Tallinn Fringe 2024 programme