Max Mystel A comedian-cum-magician

Sheikh Iraj

Attaining proficiency in one art is difficult enough. But Max Mystel is one of those rare individuals who have managed to master two performing arts – magic and comedy. The 28-year-old first came to the limelight at a former sports café in Gulshan. These days, he is performing in shows at both home and abroad. Y&I recently met with him for a tête-à-tête. 

When and why did you decide to become a comedian and a magician?

The whole thing started when I was 13. In my school in Saudi Arabia, there was this young man who showed me my first magic trick. It was a card trick and when he showed it to me, I was absolutely amazed. I wanted to know more, but you know how magicians don’t reveal their tricks. Then I decided that I was going to find out for myself. That’s how magic started for me. Comedy came in when I went to London. There is a place, Covent Garden, where people perform live on the streets and make people laugh, if your show is good then people will tip you. That was my first introduction to comedy. When I came back to Bangladesh I was looking for a platform to perform, I heard about Naveed’s Comedy Club and went to one of the open mic sessions. Everybody there appreciated my performance and I continued from there on.                   

Do you write your own material?

Some jokes, I have picked up over the years. But, yes I do write my own material, most of the material I use is my own.

What’s the difference between a regular comedian and a comedian/magician?  

I think having magic on my side is definitely a plus point for me. It’s basically a variety act. It is a little tougher for those who do only comedy. Personally, I think at the end of the day, the purpose is the same: to make people happy.           

How do you deal with hecklers?

There can be some bad audience, but there are ways to deal with them. One of the better ways is to ignore them. Again, if that doesn’t work, you can always give them the floor! As you know, many people are afraid to speak in public, so the hecklers normally back off.   

What advice would you give to young people who want to take up comedy as a career?  

Well, the first advice is: what are you waiting for? Try it out. When you are starting out, nobody expects you to be funny, so don’t worry about that.

Please tell us about your favourite comedians?   

George Carlin, Doug” Stanhope, Richard Pryor and Denis Leary are the ones I really admire. I was inspired by their performances.  

Beside standup comedy, what keeps you busy?

I am doing comedy fulltime. I recently stayed in India for three months. The platform for comedy there is much bigger. In Mumbai, there are open mic sessions virtually every day. People travel for four hours to take part in a four-minute act! In India, you can test your material. I want to continue what I am doing, that’s visiting different countries and performing there. 

    

 

Max Mystel A comedian-cum-magician

Sheikh Iraj Attaining proficiency in one art is difficult enough. But Max Mystel is one of those rare individuals who have managed to master two performing arts magic and comedy. The 28-year-old first came to the limelight at a former sports caf in Gulshan. These days, he is performing in shows at both home and abroad. YI recently met with him for a tte--tte. When and why did you decide to become a comedian and a magician? The whole thing started when I was 13. In my school in Saudi Arabia, there was this young man who showed me my first magic trick. It was a card trick and when he showed it to me, I was absolutely amazed. I wanted to know more, but you know how magicians dont reveal their tricks. Then I decided that I was going to find out for myself. Thats how magic started for me. Comedy came in when I went to London. There is a place, Covent Garden, where people perform live on the streets and make people laugh, if your show is good then people will tip you. That was my first introduction to comedy. When I came back to Bangladesh I was looking for a platform to perform, I heard about Naveeds Comedy Club and went to one of the open mic sessions. Everybody there appreciated my performance and I continued from there on. Do you write your own material? Some jokes, I have picked up over the years. But, yes I do write my own material, most of the material I use is my own. Whats the difference between a regular comedian and a comedian/magician? I think having magic on my side is definitely a plus point for me. Its basically a variety act. It is a little tougher for those who do only comedy. Personally, I think at the end of the day, the purpose is the same: to make people happy. How do you deal with hecklers? There can be some bad audience, but there are ways to deal with them. One of the better ways is to ignore them. Again, if that doesnt work, you can always give them the floor! As you know, many people are afraid to speak in public, so the hecklers normally back off. What advice would you give to young people who want to take up comedy as a career? Well, the first advice is: what are you waiting for? Try it out. When you are starting out, nobody expects you to be funny, so dont worry about that. Please tell us about your favourite comedians? George Carlin, Doug Stanhope, Richard Pryor and Denis Leary are the ones I really admire. I was inspired by their performances. Beside standup comedy, what keeps you busy? I am doing comedy fulltime. I recently stayed in India for three months. The platform for comedy there is much bigger. In Mumbai, there are open mic sessions virtually every day. People travel for four hours to take part in a four-minute act! In India, you can test your material. I want to continue what I am doing, thats visiting different countries and performing there.