Pakistan is not new to comedy as a performance art form. In fact, comedy is the industry’s strongest feature. For years, legendary Moin Akhtar made Pakistanis laugh to his brilliant sense of humour and more recently, some of the biggest blockbusters have followed the comic genre.
COMEDYCENTRAL
Karachi
Pakistan is not new to comedy as a performance art form. In fact, comedy is the industry’s strongest feature. For years, legendary Moin Akhtar made Pakistanis laugh to his brilliant sense of humour and more recently, some of the biggest blockbusters have followed the comic genre. But stand-up comedy is relatively new and it’s interesting to see how quickly it’s becoming a live entertainment alternative. On Valentine’s eve, when Karachi’s social calendar was packed with musical performances, fashion soirees and private parties, a chunk of the crowd was seen at the LOL Waalay’s Improv at PACC, laughing out loud – some in pairs and some as their ‘single’ self.
Those who haven’t yet witnessed LOL Waalay’s comic brilliance on stage should know that the troupe doesn’t perform scripted acts. Instead they follow an Improv routine which means they think on spot, joke on spot and make you break into peals of laughter, on spot. Their Valentine’s special was no different either. Relationship jokes, singles jokes, self-deprecating jokes or stereotypical ones, you name it – they had every trick in the hat to tickle your funny bone.
This time’s troupe included seasoned performers Zubair Tariq, Syed Muhammad Kumail, Sannan Wastani and Syed Osama along with newbie Aadi Adeal Amjad, while Zuhaib Shaikh took over the hosting duties. Situations were created for all of them to perform and each of them brought their own unique comic personality on stage. The most interesting aspect of the night was the constant inclusion of audience members into the performance – whether it was asking their suggestions on relationship problems, asking them to write funny one-liners or simply calling them on stage to perform alongside the comedians.
However, what was blatantly obvious was that Improvs are no easy feat. While some of the jokes tickled, others fell flat. At times one could sense the artist’s struggling to think on spot and a couple of them were seen skipping the situation altogether. The real shining stars were Aadi and Zubair, who never failed at any chance given to them. But the overall performance brought another question to mind: can just about anybody and everybody be a stand-up comedy artist? No. Comedy is not everybody’s cup of tea and perhaps that’s why Akbar Chaudhry’s (a crucial member of the troupe) presence was deeply missed. Nevertheless, be it couples or singles, everybody left with a smile on their faces and the fun photo booth added to the fun-filled night.
