Article written in the framework of the collaboration between the writing Culture of Figaro and the IPJ Paris-Dauphine.

The One More Joke. Celine Bégrand

“The humor is of the love. The more you are hot, it is hot!” When Certe Mathurin, animator, programmer of One More Joke and a comedian at the Jamel Comedy Club in 2017, goes on stage at 20: 30 this Thursday, October, the public is already boiling. A few minutes earlier, the One More like a bar lambda. Customers stuck at the counter, ambient music, dimmed lights. There was no indication that the property, located 44 rue de la Folie Méricourt (Xith arrondissement), a few steps from Bataclan, would become a temple of laughter.

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On the chairs placed in the center of the room, post-it notes to indicate the names of the people who have booked their place. You can even see comedians in smoking their cigarette, or order a drink. Everything is speeding up. Antoine Rapin, co-owner of the bar, with his brother Hugo, turned off the lights and increases the music, a sign to the public that it is necessary to go sit down. Morning in Japan , the title of Fakear, sounds. The song sounds asian and electro has become, over the evenings, a sign of rallying. The regulars are clapping in rhythm, the new follow the movement. The evening can begin. Programming is awfully thoughtful.

“good Evening, One More Joke, are you well?”

The sight, a hundred, set the stage. Garlands bright way café illuminated a brick wall clear with false openings. Number 44 stands out above a door. A green plant and a table of mixing black with the logo of the One More complete the scene.

In the middle of the laugh and the stand-up, One More Joke meets the codes of the “plateau” and not the scene opened: the program is thought out in advance, so that there is something for all tastes. Certe Mathurin applies to come, in a single evening, eight artists of different worlds. This Thursday, while Hakim Jemili jokes on his marriage, and that Tania did not hesitate to tell bluntly his disappointments sex, Alex Kominek us carries in his luggage, to British. The comedians are also inspired by the news. Stone Thévenoux is surfing on the popularity of vegan: “I’m trying to eat less meat. When I see my butcher… It is pink! It looks like a Spasfon!” Baptist, who attends for the first time in the show, seems to be captivated by the diversity of genres and topics. “I find the themes hypernovateurs. We are moving away from jokes that we already heard everywhere,” says-t it.

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Certe Mathurin on the scene, One More Joke. Celine Brégand

“good Evening, One More Joke, are you well?”, request Certe Mathurin, the smile on his lips. The audience has the impression of finding an old friend. This complicity is the essence of these evenings. Soun Dembele, the image of a baby crowned printed on his white t-shirt, enters the scene: “there is a trend at the moment, it is racism anti-white. Need to stop we take all of our stuff, guys!” The comedian wins out quickly to the public in the daily life of the ambulance. The laughter thundering of a young regular at the age of 27, Clement, bursts in the middle of the audience. It becomes, from then on, the mascot of the evening and the stand-uppers will never cease to call, until he goes on stage with Detective Froussin, the comedian’s recurring plateau, which chronicles every week, a new survey of burlesque.

Under the sign of the benevolence

The meekness characteristic of the One More Joke, attracts the new generation of comedians, the stars of stand-up. Even Gad Elmaleh, Blanche Gardin and Fary come to nurture their shows. Kyan Khojandi, comedian, and creator of the series Short , arrives discreetly during the interval. It was not specified in the program. The same morning, he sent a message to the organizer to see if he could pass. Before his arrival, Hakim Jemili has warned: the atmosphere is insane. “Tonight, I test ten minutes of new jokes,” he says. In general, it is more difficult to put in One More, because the atmosphere is very benevolent.”

Here, we are not afraid of the flop. When Peter Thévenoux realizes that her imitation of a bear is not convincing, he changes his mind: “oh, well, it was not very funny.” This did not prevent him to continue his sketch. And the room of a good belly laugh to spades good child that he sends to Clement, the toast of the evening.

The hat of the artists fills at the end of the show. Celine Brégand

Thanks to word-of-mouth, the reputation of this scene grows. This Thursday, again, the major part of the assembly raises his hand when Certe Mathurin request, as usual: “That has already come at least once in One More Joke?”. Spectators entrust reserve their place even before the line-up is announced. If the entry is free, hat artists will fill up quickly at the end of the show.

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“The public is becoming more and more demanding, so there’s a little more pressure at the beginning,” acknowledged Soun Dembele. Mary comes for the third time: “I found that there was a better atmosphere and a better selection of artists than elsewhere.” The One More Joke offers only stand-up comedians and talented. With real universe. As Laurie Peret, this evening, accustomed to the program It Cauet on NRJ and who currently plays his “Show food in waiting for the pension” to the Republic, in Paris. The young woman interprets this Thursday, a song on his delivery of the words shifted. The room sang with it: “1, 2, 3, it is the number of fingers, 1, 2, 3, that he puts inside of me.”

In two years, One More Joke has organized over one hundred evenings of stand-up and brought together 6,000 spectators in 2017. Last September, the 100th edition, has been relocated to the Bellevilloise for a capacity of 400 persons. After this success, the team plans to repeat the experience. On the 18th of December, this same room will host their evening Christmas special. Another project, to invite a day of the musician Fakear launch in person for the festivities. In the meantime, the One More makes an appointment with you to its customers the following Thursday. For a joke to most.

Eric Nahon IPJ

Cinema, theatre, music… The student-journalists of IPJ, Institute of Journalism of the University of Paris Dauphine, offer their views on current cultural events. A publication in partnership with Le Figaro culture.