Tania Dutel, the French stand-up comedian with no filter, opens up ahead of her Australian tour

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Tania Dutel, a French comedian with raw, no-holds-barred humour, is coming to Australia for a stand-up tour in French. After taking the stages of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore by storm, she’s ready to tickle the funny bones of French speakers in Australia with her intimate anecdotes, sharp punchlines and, hopefully, without encountering any deadly spiders. Read our interview with her below.

Tania Dutel, you’re coming to Australia for a tour across several cities. Do you often travel to non-French-speaking countries to perform your show in French?

It happened in 2023, when I went to perform in Asia. I had the opportunity to perform in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore, and I absolutely loved it!

Have you prepared any specific content for Australia?

I haven’t planned anything in particular, but if something specific happens while I’m there, I’ll talk about it. I’ve already done plenty of research on the animals/insects that could potentially lead to my premature death, but I hope I won’t encounter any—or at least from a distance.

You’re known for your unfiltered humour. How did you find your voice in stand-up, and what gave you the confidence to fully embrace it?

I think it came with age. I’d been performing in comedy clubs for several years, doing absurd humour. Around the age of 26–27, I started to feel disconnected from that style and wanted to talk about things I was experiencing as a woman. It wasn’t easy for a long time, especially with the fear that my family might come to see my show, and the backlash from people who consider these topics taboo and express their disapproval in the comments instead of just scrolling past to find content they actually like.

When was the first time you said to yourself: “Okay, I’m actually really funny”?

Honestly? I don’t know. I think it was while working with Verino, who was my producer for three years. He gave me confidence, and thanks to him, I must have found it one day 😊

What makes you laugh? Is there a comedian or a type of humour that makes you cry with laughter?

I love the work of Shirley Souagnon, Verino, Laura Domenge, Doully, Jason Brokerss, Lise Dehurtevent, Louis Dubourg, Paul Dechavanne…

Your humour tackles intimate or still-taboo topics, and you share personal anecdotes from your life. Are there things you wouldn’t share? Do you set any limits for yourself, or is everything fair game on stage?

I talk about anything I feel like talking about. My limits change every day, so I don’t set boundaries. Every time I’ve thought, “I can’t tell this story!!” I ended up telling it.

When writing a show, do you start from a big idea or from anecdotes that you then piece together?

I start from anecdotes, but it depends on the show. For my last one, Les Autres, which is currently on Canal+, I didn’t want transitions because I was playing with that idea at the end of the show. I grouped anecdotes around similar themes. For my new show, I’ve tried to find connections between the anecdotes so they flow better and the transitions between topics feel more natural.

Stand-up has long been a male-dominated field. Is that something you’ve felt, and do you think it’s changed since you started?

Oh yes, I’ve definitely felt it. And it’s still the case. There are more and more women, but it’s still tough. Conditions can be difficult for some women, with a lot of misogyny backstage. I’m lucky enough to be able to choose where I perform, and I only do comedy clubs where everyone is respectful. I thought the new wave of female comedians was having a better time—until the testimonies started coming out last year related to #Metoostandup.

What excites you most about this Australian tour? Is there something you dream of doing or seeing while you’re here?

After posting videos about Australia on my social media, some really nice expats have already offered to show me around—so kind! Unfortunately, I’ll have very little time between shows—sometimes I’m performing two nights in a row. I’m thrilled to be coming to Australia, but I’m also frustrated I won’t have much time to explore. I’ll have four days in Perth, so I’ll try to see as much as I can. I would have loved to visit a national park, but according to Google, the most beautiful ones are in central Australia, and I won’t have time for that. I’ll have one day off to explore Sydney—maybe the best option is just not to sleep so I can see as much as possible!

On your social media, you talk about your fear of encountering Australian animals like sharks, snakes or violent kangaroos. What scares you the most about coming to Australia?

Spiders. I didn’t even need to think about it. In one video, I talk about going to hospital because of a spider bite—and it’s a true story. I’ll obviously be bringing a first-aid kit with me. But when it comes to blood infections—that, I won’t be able to deal with!

Is there a question you’re never asked in interviews that you wish someone would ask?

Why life?

And on the flip side, is there a question you’re always asked… and are starting to get tired of?

What’s it like being a woman in stand-up?

Why should people come and see your show in Australia?

If you’ve ever watched one of my videos and laughed, then you already know what it’s like… Seeing it live is always better!

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We thank Tania Dutel for this interview and can’t wait to see her in Australia. In the meantime, you can watch her second show Autres in French on Canal+ Australia (read our article here to discover the special offer for this French-language streaming service).