For years, Frank Richter was a celebrity reporter for “Glanz und Gloria”; today, he is one of Switzerland’s most sought-after stand-up comedians. He is currently touring the country with his fourth solo show, “Love My Job.” On Solti’s Studiocast, he shared how it all came about.
Frank Richter’s life story provides enough material for several stage shows. Born in Uznach, raised in Rapperswil-Jona as the son of a German mother, a dual citizen of Germany and Switzerland, and now a resident of Zurich. The *Herisauer Nachrichten* summed up his recipe for success early on: “Crude jokes presented in a likable way.”
Before Richter stepped into the spotlight himself, he held the microphone for others. After an internship at a local newspaper, he landed a job at the SRF celebrity magazine “Glanz und Gloria,” where he reported on stars and starlets for years. He got the best answers when his interviewees were relaxed, so he’d start by goofing around in front of the camera. Anecdotes from that time include the one about Beatrice Egli, whose management even struck the question about the instrument she had played as a child from the interview. Or the letter from a lawyer in Germany because an article referred to “Schweini” instead of Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The shift to comedy happened gradually. Richter first wrote jokes for others, took the stage himself starting in 2016, and hosted Blick TV’s live quiz show on the side until he had to make a decision: journalism or the stage. He chose the stage—and with success. In 2017, he was one of the “4 Young Talents” at the Arosa Humor Festival; in 2019, he won the Golden Ticket at the Quatsch Comedy Club in Berlin; and in 2021, he won the SRF Comedy Cup and Comedy Central’s Roast Battle. In the same year as his success in Berlin, his first solo show, “Promi-Richter,” premiered: personal stories, celebrity gossip, and dark humor, including a musical interlude on the pan flute.
Richter’s trademark is dark humor. The press agrees: Richter isn’t someone who makes fun of minorities, but rather a verbal tightrope walker who pushes the boundaries of good taste without ever crossing them. He himself takes a pragmatic view: “Switzerland is too small to say, ‘I’ll only do this one thing.’ In Germany, you can be the guy who tells antisocial jokes and still have 400 theaters to perform in.” His talent, as he puts it, is packaging nasty things in such a way that they work even at a town hall meeting.
His current show, “Love my Job,” is a jab at a very specific type of person: “I’m annoyed by people who post #lovemyjob on LinkedIn. That’s just sucking up to the boss.” By his own account, it’s his best show yet—a wild ride through the absurdities of the working world. For the show, he and his director developed 32 characters, ranging from his own mother to a former boss, each with their own voice and mannerisms.
For even more behind-the-scenes insights into comedy and celebrity journalism, check out the latest episode of Solti’s Studiocast: