The Comics Unseen
Press Kit
Stand-up · Narrative Comedy · Lisbon, London, New York
André De Freitas
He wanted to be a surfer, tried stand-up once and knew. Nine years, a London apprenticeship and more than 30 countries later, he is a regular at New York’s Comedy Cellar.
From
Portugal · started in Lisbon, came up in London
Based
New York City
Known for
Comedy Cellar regular · What If, Edinburgh Fringe 2023
Current hour
Public Display of Affection
Interview
Instagram interview · @thecomicsunseen
“The way I try to describe it is, starting in London was my degree, touring in different countries has been the masters and the Cellar and New York is the PhD.”
André De Freitas — The Comics Unseen
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Biography
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André De Freitas is a Portuguese stand-up comedian based in New York, where he is a regular at the Comedy Cellar. He had dreamed of being a surfer, until he found out it requires being very good at surfing and being a morning person. He tried stand-up in Lisbon as an item on his bucket list, and it became instantly clear that it was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
The goal was always the United States, but an open-micer had no route to an artist visa. So in 2016 he moved to London, climbed from open mics to the clubs, performed across Europe and opened for visiting American comics, assembling the case piece by piece: letters of recommendation, international awards, international press. He has since performed in more than 30 countries and done tour support for Jim Jefferies, Russell Peters, Iliza Schlesinger, Alan Carr, TJ Miller and Jim Gaffigan. His debut hour, What If, premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe to multiple five-star reviews and a place on The Telegraph’s list of the funniest jokes of the Fringe. That run brought management offers from the US and, eventually, everything he needed to apply. By his own count it took a short nine years. He released What If free on YouTube in June 2025.
His new hour, Public Display of Affection, is about love and mortality: a difficult break-up, his mum’s cancer, and facing his parents’ mortality for the first time. Like all his shows it has a narrative line, but he insists the jokes come first. He writes everything out, sometimes down to the commas, and tours a show until he feels that chapter of his life is done; then he films it and closes it.
The part other press kits leave out
What you should know before you book him
André De Freitas plays a long game. He built a nine-year route from Lisbon open mics to the Comedy Cellar, and he writes the same way: deliberately, to the comma, for rooms anywhere in the world.
Built the long way
No shortcuts: London open mics, the club circuit, European gigs, opening for touring Americans, a Fringe hour, then the US. He treats the career, in his words, as a marathon, not a sprint.
Written to the comma
He is not a riffer. Every bit is scripted, ideas live in the notes on his phone for years if they need to, and some wait until he has the craft to tackle them.
Jokes first, story second
His shows carry a narrative line in the European tradition, but he holds that the jokes must always come first. Leaving the audience with something more is the sweet spot.
Travels well
More than 30 countries across Europe, the US, Australia and the Middle East. He writes asking whether a bit will land in Poland, Australia or Portugal as well as the US, and avoids geographical crutches.
Cellar-tested
He says the Comedy Cellar teaches consistency at the highest level and intentional choices, and that his main work there is developing a distinct voice inside tight sets.
Unbothered by hype
He does not tie his value to being the hottest thing one month and old news the next. He is candid that work-in-progress shows are brutal: his first Melbourne shows for the new hour were, in his word, horrible.
For press · cleared for use with attribution
Quotable
01
“I did dream of being a surfer but turns out you have to be really good at surfing and be quite the morning person, which I am not.”02
“And I think when I tried stand up for the first time, as something that was on my bucket list, it became instantly clear that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”03
“Luckily that ended up happening and during my Fringe run, I got some management offers from the US and eventually I got all the requirements to apply.”04
“Which brings us to last year. And it only took a short 9 years (laughs)”05
“It was amazing. There’s nothing comparable.”06
“When a joke really hits and people are really laughing and you get that 1 or 2 seconds where you just get to watch people laughing is the best feeling on earth.”07
“So, I’d say what the cellar teaches you is how to consistently operate on the highest level and to be really intentional in your choices.”08
“I write everything down to the comma.”09
“I really need to have everything written out. Sometimes down to the commas, because I like the feeling of knowing where I’m going.”10
“I really just try to focus on growth and building a body of work that I can be proud of because ultimately this is a marathon, not a sprint.”11
“I still think, every month I don’t have to get a job in a supermarket. I feel like I’ve gotten away with it.”12
“So it does make me think a bit more universally and means I don’t use too many geographical crutches, which I hope makes the joke writing better and more universal.”13
“The jokes must always come first but if you manage to leave people with something more, that’s the sweet spot for me.”14
“My material is always about what’s going on in my life because I think in some way I’m asking the audience the questions I’m asking myself and by constantly performing it I end up finding some answers.”15
“Kindness and humanity you can’t teach.”16
“Jim Gaffigan was the first person I opened for, in Lisbon at the time, I was a super young comic and he took me out for dinner, asked about me, about Portugal and gave me good advice, I’ll always remember that.”17
“Jim Jefferies has invited me to open several times for him and has always made me feel like I’m a part of the circle.”18
“So, comedy humbles you really quick.”
Attribution: André De Freitas, in conversation with The Comics Unseen. Read the interview.
Career
Selected credits
Hours
- What If — debut hour; premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe; multiple five-star reviews; The Telegraph’s funniest jokes of the Fringe; released free on YouTube, June 2025
- Public Display of Affection — current hour, touring Europe; developed in part at the Melbourne comedy festival
Clubs & touring
- Regular at the Comedy Cellar, New York
- Performed in more than 30 countries across Europe, the US, Australia and the Middle East
- Tour support for Jim Jefferies, Russell Peters, Iliza Schlesinger, Alan Carr, TJ Miller and Jim Gaffigan — his first, in Lisbon
Influences
Chris Rock first (Bring the Pain, Bigger & Blacker), then Pryor, Seinfeld and Burr; Chris Tucker at Def Jam may be his all-time favourite set. He looks up to Mike Birbiglia and John Mulaney, and counts Jim Jefferies and Michelle Wolf as favourites. His friend George Zacharoupolos helped him with both of his hours.
This kit was produced by The Comics Unseen. The interview and quotes are drawn from Meet André De Freitas, published on Instagram by The Comics Unseen. André De Freitas and their representatives are free to use any part of this document — the biography, the quotes — for booking, press and promotion, with credit to The Comics Unseen for the interview material.
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