About Raoul Heertje
Raoul Louis Heertje (born 11 March 1963) is a Dutch comedian. Being Jewish himself, his comedy performances include Jewish humour. From 1983 till 1984 Heertje studied International Relations and Theatre Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After that he studied in Birmingham till 1986. His father is the economist Arnold Heertje.
He appeared on the TV shows of Ruby Wax, Clive James, Jeremy Clarkson and in the British satirical programme Have I Got News for You (on series 9) in 1995. A year later he became a panelist in the successful Dutch version of the same show: Dit was het nieuws. Raoul, and his brother Eric, founded comedyclub Toomler and Comedytrain, the stand-up comedy collective that introduced stand-up comedy in the Netherlands in the year 1990. In 2007 he is one of the members of The Amsterdam Underground Comedy Collective. Heertje also wrote columns for Het Parool.
In 1990, Raoul founded Comedytrain (combination of "Comedy" + "Training"), which was the first stand-up comedy collective in the Netherlands. With Comedy Club Toomler as its home theater, Comedytrain acted as a training ground for new comedians, providing a space for them to practice and exchange feedback with peers. Notable members of Comedytrain include Hans Teeuwen, Theo Maassen, Najib Amhali, Hans Sibbel, Thomas Acda, Ronald Goedemondt, Jan Jaap van der Wal, and Sanne Wallis de Vries. As of 2026, Comedytrain is still active; it accepts new members and hosts events such as a weekly Open Mic.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Raoul Heertje?
Raoul Louis Heertje (born 11 March 1963) is a Dutch comedian. Being Jewish himself, his comedy performances include Jewish humour.
What is Comedytrain?
In 1990, Raoul founded Comedytrain (a combination of "Comedy" + "Training"), which was the first stand-up comedy collective in the Netherlands. With Comedy Club Toomler as its home theater, it acted as a training ground for new comedians.
Who are some notable members of Comedytrain?
Notable members include Hans Teeuwen, Theo Maassen, Najib Amhali, Hans Sibbel, Thomas Acda, Ronald Goedemondt, Jan Jaap van der Wal, and Sanne Wallis de Vries.
What did Raoul Heertje study?
From 1983 till 1984 he studied International Relations and Theatre Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After that he studied in Birmingham till 1986.
On which television shows has Raoul Heertje appeared?
He appeared on the TV shows of Ruby Wax, Clive James, Jeremy Clarkson and in the British satirical programme Have I Got News for You (on series 9) in 1995. A year later he became a panelist in the Dutch version of the same show, Dit was het nieuws.
