The man from Solothurn actually moved to Germany to become an actor. Today, Alain Frei is one of the biggest names in the German comedy scene and can be seen in many television programs. Only the Swiss haven't really discovered him yet. We visited Alain Frei at his home in Cologne.
When I attended a performance by Chris Tall in Singen, Germany, in spring 2017, I was amazed when audience members kept asking me about the Swiss comedian Alain Frei. I didn't know who he was. Alain Frei is (still) much better known in Germany than here. He travels all over the country for his performances, appears on ARD and RTL shows and the Quatsch Comedy Club. Time to meet the Swiss comedian in his home town of Cologne.
I meet the 34-year-old at the traditional Cologne brewery Malzmühle, where Bill Clinton once stopped in. "It's really lucky that we found time for this appointment," he says. "I'm in the middle of the preview shows for my new program." Around a month after our date, "Mach dich Frei" will celebrate its premiere at the Cologne Comedy Festival on October 27, 2017.
He used to make fun of the Swiss in Germany
The Swiss comedian is popular in Germany. Frei already has two stage programs in his repertoire, often making fun of the idiosyncrasies of the Swiss and Germans. "In the next program that changes a bit, I only talk about it for about three minutes," he tells me. As is customary in Cologne, we order two Kölsch beers. "I don't actually drink beer, but it's part of a proper tour of Cologne," he says.
Frei came to Cologne in a roundabout way: twelve years ago he moved to Freiburg im Breisgau for love, a few months later he moved on to Hamburg to train as an actor. And four years ago he moved to Cologne for another love, where he still lives today, now single. "Neither the Swiss nor the Germans like to hear that: but we're not really different at all," he says. What he likes about Germany, however, is that it is a large and open country with lots of opportunities: "Especially in Cologne, everyone can do their own thing. But it's not the most beautiful city," he says with a laugh.
Frei already had the urge to entertain people as a child. He used every stage he could find and performed in front of his family at Christmas. That's why he always toyed with the idea of becoming a stand-up comedian: "A friend persuaded me to take part in the talent competition at the Quatsch Comedy Club." It was Frei's first appearance and he narrowly failed to make it through to the next round. Nevertheless, he knew that comedy was his thing.
Chris Tall and Alain Frei maintain a good friendship
Six months after Frei started doing comedy, he met Chris Tall. Tall is now a big name in the German comedy business, even filling entire halls. Back then, he was still at the very beginning. More by chance than anything else, Alain Frei even lived with Chris Tall. "I broke up with my girlfriend at the time and needed some space, so I moved in with Chris for two months. We even had to share a bed some of the time," he says and laughs. It was a really good time, eating pizza and playing video games together. Nevertheless, they were both on the road a lot due to the many gigs. "Today we talk on the phone every week."
After the visit to the brewery, they take a walk along the banks of the Rhine to the cathedral. "Normally about 10 to 15 people a day talk to me on the street," says Frei.
Frei misses the rural side of Switzerland
Sometimes he misses rural Switzerland. "Everything is so big in Germany. But the Swiss could sometimes be a bit more open," he says. Alain Frei usually only sees his family in Lauterbach, Solothurn, when he is here on business: "Then I keep in touch. But we talk on the phone regularly."
Frei's next appearance in Switzerland is with the comedy troupe RebellComedy. The group's shows are based on American stand-up and consist of comedians with Moroccan, Iranian, Turkish and Swiss roots. "They were ridiculed at first. I thought they were cool and asked if I could perform with them. And now I'm a member of the group."
He is rarely in Cologne anymore.
So why is Frei so successful in Germany and still rather unknown in his home country? "I can be seen on many TV shows here. I haven't had many opportunities in Switzerland," he says.
Alain Frei only spends around five nights a month in an apartment in Cologne. Our tour ends at the world-famous cathedral. "I'm meeting a friend," he reveals. "Tomorrow I'm off to southern Germany for my next gig, so I have to make the most of being here." He's right about that.
