Kait Kall says Estonians are hard to engage in stand-up

Stand-up comedian Kait Kall told Vikerraadio, a radio station, that Estonian audiences are often difficult to engage during stand-up performances, while corporate events allow him to connect with people more easily as a host.

“I have an elephant that has completely trampled my ear. Sometimes I sing quite correctly, I have even had vocal training and singing lessons at school, but sometimes I sing wherever I want, sometimes on pitch and sometimes at the bottom,” said Kall, who is also an actor, director and screenwriter.

Kall said he had been fairly reserved when he was young and entered the theatre by chance. He recalled wearing only black clothes and initially avoiding a drama studio established at the Võru city theatre by Taago Tubin and Tarmo Tagamets.

“One boy and 12 girls went there. In the end, my deskmate and I decided to go as well, and that is how my interest in theatre began. After finishing secondary school, I had two choices: journalism or acting,” Kall said.

He said people need humour during difficult times, although he is also interested in serious subjects. He added that attending theatre school would be worthwhile even for people who do not intend to become actors.

Kall described comedy as the most unforgiving form of performing, particularly when performed alone. In a serious play, silence can mean that the audience is thinking along, he said, whereas a joke produces an immediate response: people either laugh or they do not.

The most difficult situation is when a performance still has an hour to go and the auditorium is completely silent, Kall said. At that point, he added, a performer realises that no more laughter is likely to come, starts rushing and tries to save the situation.

Kall has performed stand-up for seven or eight years, often alone on stage. He said he particularly enjoys improvising when something comes from the audience. As an event host, he also likes putting organisational leaders in unexpected situations and teasing them a little.

His experience on stage has taught him to trust his instincts, he said. There is no point in panicking or starting to apologise. “If something goes wrong, you turn it into a joke,” Kall said.

Some of his worst moments have come when he failed to understand the context. He recalled once making a joke about handing out redundancy notices at the beginning of a company event, only to discover that the firm had recently carried out large-scale redundancies. Another difficult situation arises when the audience anticipates the punchline, he said, adding that a performer must know when to stop.

Kall will present a new show in October, featuring entirely new material.

“Estonian people are rather bad at going along with a joke. I feel like a salesperson in a shop whom everyone wants to walk past. Stand-up audiences do not particularly want to talk; you feel as though you are at a festival for deaf and mute people. If you ask something, nobody answers,” Kall said.

He said Estonians tend to avoid attention and become uncomfortable when addressed directly. Corporate events are different, he added, because they are where “steel is tempered” and he can establish contact with Estonian audiences.

Kall said his image as a comedian limits the offers he receives for more serious roles, including in films.