Gianmarco Soresi: American stand up comedian on pushing boundaries, performing in New Zealand

If you haven’t heard the name Gianmarco Soresi, you may have seen his clips. 

The American stand up comedian is a staple of shortform video platforms, with over two million follows across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

He’s become known for his crowd work and his distinctive physicality, clambering over chairs and folding himself up as he performs. 

And he’s bringing it to New Zealand, performing two shows at the Sky City Theatre in Auckland tomorrow night. 

Soresi’s style leans towards “wholesome boundary-pushing", which he told Andrew Dickens he plans to push as many as he can whilst performing in New Zealand. 

“Some of it’s traditional, the edgy, the political, but some of it’s emotional, some of it’s like, oh you, you don’t talk about people’s dads like that.”  

These days you’ll see plenty of comedians complaining they can’t joke about anything anymore, but Soresi is among those proving otherwise. 

“I honestly think it’s what I talk about,” he told Dickens. 

“Even when it’s about edgy things or whatever, it’s usually like me, it’s making fun of myself or using myself as the ruler to examine other things.”  

You have to bring your own humanity into it, Soresi explains.  

“I find that if you’re honest about how you fit into the world, you find people aren’t necessarily mad, they might disagree with you, but as long as you’re like, taking in your own foibles as you discuss the topic, you can talk about anything you want.”  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks, it'd be
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
You might not know the name Jean Maco SERVESSI, but
I'm pretty sure you've definitely seen his clips because the
American standup comic is a staple of the short form
video platform. So if you're a scroller, and who isn't
a scroller these days, he'll probably pop up. He's got
over two million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and
he's a funny man. Now, Jan Maco is bringing his

(00:37):
unique brand of wholesome boundary pushing to our little country,
performing two shows at the SkyCity Theater tomorrow night. Jan
Maco Sireesesi Joys and now good wanting to you, Gen Maco.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Good morning, Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Wholesome boundary pushing. Which boundaries do you push?

Speaker 3 (00:55):
I mean it depends.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
You know.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
I was just in China and I would say I
pushed a few less boundaries there just to keep things
nice and running. So I'm going to be stretching my
wings now in New Zealand as many as I can.
You know, you know, some of it's some of it's traditional,
the edgy, political, but some of it's emotional. Some of

(01:17):
it's like, oh, you don't talk about people's dads like that.
And there's all sorts of boundaries out there.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
You're a special. I watch a bit of a special
the other day, and of course you start right off
by saying I've got a screwed up family, and then
you actually say, well, we've all got screwed up families.
That's why we're at a comedy show. So you've got
to screwed up family. Apparently. Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
I find there's two kind of audience members. There's some
that come to relate to the comedian because they come
from a messed up space, and then I would say
that they're really twisted people are those who come from
happy families but just want to watch me squirm, and sure,
as long as you're buying tickets. But for some people,
they want to see someone that makes them feel better
about their own lives.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Can I ask you how you do stand up in China?
I mean, do you do it in English? And then
you wait actually for the Chinese guide to actually translate
for you and then hope for a laugh.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Are you going to say translated supposed to approve of
the joke, and then I'm allowed to turn on and
I can repeat it. I know it's there's so many
English speakers out there, and a lot of people that
come to the shows they know me from the videos.
But then I do hear that in some countries people
who are learning English come to the show kind of

(02:28):
just to test it out, and that's you know, that
could be a tougher audience member. So I just mess
with the syntax, throw them off a little. I'll be like,
who's there, knock, just just to let them know, like,
don't trust a comedian to learn the language.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Okay. Now, look, it seems everywhere you'll hear washed up
comedians complaining about you can't joke about anything anymore. You
cover some pretty risky topics. You seem to be able
to do it. How do you make people laugh and
not cringe? And how do you not get canceled?

Speaker 3 (02:57):
I honestly think it's what I talk about. Even when
it's about edgy things or whatever, it's usually like me,
it's making fun of myself or using myself as the
ruler to examine other things. I think what happens there's
an arrogance that can happen with comedians where they start
making fun of a group or a thing without bringing

(03:21):
their own humanity to it. And I find that if
you're honest about how you fit into the world, you
find people aren't necessarily mad. They might disagree with you,
but as long as you're like taking in your own
foibles as you discuss the topic, you can talk about
anything you want.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
So you don't punch down, you just punch yourself in
the face. I get that. The other thing is the
crack up crowd work that you do. Now, how do
you practice with something like that? Have you gone into
pubs and bars around New Zealand, found in New Zealand
and done a little bit of sort of stand up
work with that person, you know, the crowd work, just
to find out what New Zealanders are like, because we're
not like most people.

Speaker 3 (04:01):
But that's what's fun. It's like, that's what I want
to discover. I want to try to have the good
conversation i'd have at a dinner or a pub and
have that on stage. So I'm going to I'm going
to get to know some hiwiez for sure, but I'll
find it out on stage. I think that's part of
the fun, is me learning and being surprised by whatever

(04:23):
differences culturally we have. You guys have here and I
have in America.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Will you wear an all black shirt? And I say
this because every comedian seems to wear an all black shirt,
even but bon I wore a warrior's shirt. Has today
when you two came once upon a time, and I
know that Matt Rife is coming shortly, and the last
time he was here, he wore an all black shirt.
Are you wearing an all black shirt?

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Well, I hadn't thought of it, but you think you
think people would enjoy that. I can go shopping today.
I just have to my activity today. I'm going to
shear a sheep. That's what I wanted to do here
in Auckland, and I'm the first time sharing a sheep,
So I'm doing that, and then I'll go look for
a black shirt, probably to replace whatever shirt I ruined

(05:06):
sharing a sheet.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Well, based on our interview that we actually had about
ten minutes ago about the all back coaching staff, I'm
not actually sure that wearing an all back shirt might
actually get the laughs that you might hope for. But
I hope for all the best for you. That's Joan
marco Ciresi. He's performing two shows at the SkyCity Theater
tomorrow night.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
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