Comedian from Wels

“I wear two watches so I have more time”

Comedian Jonas Bonas with one of his trademarks: two watches.(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart)

Next Tuesday, September 8, Wels-based comedian Jonas Bonas will celebrate the premiere of his first full-length show at the Kulisse in Vienna. The winner of the Grazer Kleinkunstvogel award is also a successful influencer. He has 28,000 followers on Instagram. 

He arrives for his interview with the “Krone” wearing colorful socks, sandals, a striped shirt, and two plastic watches on his wrist. “To have more time,” jokes Jonas Wiesinger, also known as Jonas Bonas. The Wels native is one of the rising stars of the Austrian comedy scene. Among other accolades, he won the Grazer Kleinkunstvogel, one of the most prestigious awards for up-and-coming cabaret artists in the German-speaking world. He won’t reveal his exact age. Nor does he say what he’s studying: “I’m in my early 20s, but people guess I’m younger or older. On stage, I come across as childlike and naive. I’m studying something to do with media,” says the Wels native mysteriously.

Comparison to Otto Waalkes
As one of the first Gen Z comedians in Austria, he feels a bit “lost.” He’ll talk about that at the premiere of his first full-length show next Tuesday at Kulisse Wien. “Generation Spielplatz” is all about a young adult navigating education, job hunting, and a housing shortage.

In terms of style, he’s reminiscent of German comedy star Otto Waalkes in some ways. “He’s an inspiration, but I’m certainly not a copy of him,” says Jonas Bonas, who wants to forge his own path.

“Even as a child, I performed my first shows and magic tricks on a very small scale and realized that not everything has to go perfectly to be well-received.”

Jonas Bonas

And his style is also heavily influenced by social media. He has about 28,000 followers on Instagram. “As a child, I was already putting on my first shows and performing magic tricks on a very small scale, and I realized that not everything has to go perfectly to be well-received,” he recalls. After that, he became fascinated by movies and acting. “But during my time doing community service in early 2025, I had my first gigs as a comedian—and it was so much fun.”