Whether it’s chatting with Atarashii Gakko! or the founder of music festival Mutek, you can count on us to give you the scoop on Tokyo talent. Now, here’s another one for you. This January, American comedian Gianmarco Soresi is coming to Tokyo for two days only.
Known for his witty topical comedy, masterful crowd work and energetic theatricality on stage, the multi-faceted performer recently released his full-length special Thief of Joy, which has racked up over 3.2 million views on YouTube to date. His latest tour, Drama King, is already underway, taking place in over three dozen cities across four continents. Tokyo will be his first stop in Asia.
We chatted with the man himself to get his thoughts on his upcoming visit. Read on to hear more about the tour, plus find out what he’s most looking forward to in his downtime in Tokyo.
So Gianmarco, what can people expect from this tour?
Everything from Thief of Joy is retired, so it’s gonna be some material that I’ve been fine-tuning for the last couple years.
Eighty percent of the show will be really polished material, but there’s definitely gonna be crowd work, and some new topical stuff too, since I’m travelling to a continent I’ve never been to. That’s why I’m going to Tokyo for two weeks before the show, so that I’ll have time to soak in the culture and take in new jokes.
I’m hoping to film a special next year, so I have a solid mix of complex, nuanced jokes and storytelling, and a little bit of flexibility. It’ll be different every show.
How do you expect stand-up will be different here compared to back home?
I know a couple comedians who have been to Japan, and from what I’ve been told, I’m sure it’s going to be a different experience in terms of the way the audiences respond or how they do crowd work. I watch the subtitled versions of other countries’ local stand-up, and I know in some ways that stand-up is newer there.
I think the key to good crowd work is to have legitimate curiosity. I think I’m going to really have that when I’m talking to locals there, and usually it creates fun, comedic moments.
It's been quite a while since your first special Shelf Life in 2020. How have you grown since then, both personally and professionally?
In certain ways my life is still two-dimensional given how much I tour, but I think my life has become a lot more fleshed out. I’m in a much better place. I’m in a long-term relationship; I have my podcast, The Downside; I have a team of people, and we have a company. Artistically, I feel more fleshed out.
Shelf Life was one of those early moments of making my own thing, but now I feel like I’ve paved my own career. I’ve learned since Shelf Life to make jokes that are even more personal, to pull from my own experiences for jokes that speak towards larger feelings that are true to me.
I credit my girlfriend as my muse on Thief of Joy. Not just as my muse, but also my editor in a way. She has a very good eye. I think she’s guided my stand-up to not just be a series of jokes, but to think about what the jokes are reflecting and how to tie them together and package them. I think it’s served me to build my career.
You've been in the stand-up business for about a decade now. Why is now the right time for a tour of this scale?
Touring internationally is not easy. When I went to Europe the first time, it was like, ‘Can we do this? How are ticket sales going to be?’
I think what’s different now is that I built a company, and I finally have an infrastructure, so I’m going because I can. I could’ve waited a little longer, but I think you grow so much as an artist, experiencing a different culture and seeing how your jokes play out, and I want to have an international reach.
That’s why the tour is ambitious. I’m really looking forward to it.
This'll be your first time in Japan. What are you looking forward to?
I don’t know how cliche this is, but I really grew up on manga and the manga boom in America. I was a kid at a really perfect time to experience when Shonen Jump started here. I wanna dive into that and experience aspects of the culture that are portrayed in anime, like eating ramen and being able to pick up my bowl and eat it very fast (laughs). I’m so excited for the food. I can’t wait.
I’ve been to Europe, Australia and Canada, but I’m really excited to see how it is to be so far away in such a different culture. I’m excited to experience the high-speed trains. I’m excited to experience New Year’s there – we’re going to a temple. We’re going to go to a ryokan in Kyoto, too. I can’t be more excited!
Purchase tickets
Gianmarco’s show takes place January 6 2026 at Hulic Hall and January 7 2026 at British pub Good Heavens. Tickets for the January 7 show are already sold out, but you can still get tickets for the January 6 show at the official Gianmarco Soresi website for ¥8,330.
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