Comedy Festival 2014 (Review).

Colombo’s Comedy Festival at Park Street Mews this June was a really interesting event — Sri Lankan stand-up? Who woulda thunk it?

Some of the comedians that night

There have been a couple of stand-up comedy nights going on around Colombo for a while now, but this was the first official big event. The line-up (Shuhaib, Jayanga, Laksheta, Navin, JJ, Sacha and Sabreen) was a bunch of crazies, all very quirky – you have to be, at least a bit, to be nuts enough to get on stage and tell jokes – and most of them very hard to dislike.

Some jokes fell totally flat, others got a few chuckles, and a few of those on stage were lucky enough to get loud roars of laughter and applause. Park Street Mews was lit up and flooded with people excited to watch stand-up, a lot of aunties surprisingly, one kid in the front seat (awkward because 18+ humour), and the crowd wan’t a tough one, their laughter egged the comedians on.

Joking around is hard work

I know what most funny people are thinking – and what I thought too – ‘well, I could do that!’ It really isn’t as easy as it looks. It’s not actually enough to have a great sense of humour, it’s not even enough if you’re that one person who makes all your friends laugh. Watching these guys (and girl) get up on stage, hyperventilate a bit at first, and then put effort into keeping a room full of people entertained – for a good 15-20 minutes – just by talking about random shizzle that one hopes is funny — it’s a rare talent. And just putting yourself out there, hoping you’ve got that talent, takes balls of steel.

A Sri Lankan brand of funny

Some parts of the acts had themes obviously inspired by Russell Peters, Dave Chapelle and other popular comedians from the US and the UK that we here love to watch on YouTube. And that’s alright. But Sri Lanka itself has got loads to laugh about, and it was extra fun to listen to fresh jokes that made us laugh at our Sri Lankan idiosyncrasies – like our notoriously nosey Aunties, our explicit road rage and our local accents. Points for acts that mixed in Sinhala and Tamil funnies.

Butthurt

There needs to be a disclaimer at the entrance of comedic events: Stand-up comedy is not for the easily butthurt. So please leave your butthurt at the door. Everything goes, when you’re on stage and laughing at the world we live in and everyone in it. The point is: take nothing seriously.

Who nailed it and who missed the mark?

I won’t lie – a couple jokes that night made us cringe because they were either way too slapstick or just plain awkward. Yeah, some comedy works in a Lisa Lampanelli audience, but you’ve got to be wise when trying to directly apply them to one in Colombo that’s barely ever been exposed to live stand-up before. Burns and crudity can be hilarious – but it takes a connoisseur to make sure it isn’t overdone. There were still some solid comedians in the house – Shuhaib, Sabreen and Sacha impressed a lot of funny-bones in the audience.

Whether it was about sex, or traffic jams, or each other, the best jokes – we noticed – relied completely on the likability of the comedian. If you can’t get the audience to like you as a person, they’re not going to want to laugh with you. We’ve noticed self-deprecating humour helps. Also the occasional wacky facial expression or dorky punchline – some like Jayanga managed to get this right and make people laugh (btw, we saw him do voice impressions off stage before the show and we suggest he use some of that funny shizzle in his act next time). Animation is key to hold people’s attention, because people are tempted to lose interest when they’re forced to sit in one place and watch somebody talk – you can’t just tell jokes, you need to entertain.

Favourites

Most of the team enjoyed their own golden moments but we thought Sacha was the funniest. They left him for last and he wrapped the show up nicely. We gave him comedic brownie points for confidence (he seemed to adore being up on stage and entertaining us), for the neat trick he does with accents, and mostly for the ad lib. We don’t know whether it’s because of practice or just talent, but it works.

Conclusion

The Comedy Festival 2014 had its moments, some of it was meh, some of it really good — at the end of the day though, we think it’s a super project. Humour is important, and though we Sri Lankans seem so serious sometimes, deep down we’re very, very funny, silly people who love to laugh, and we need to create spaces to nurture that. Stand-up comedy is an amazing art on its own – stand-up comedy by Sri Lankans is even cooler, and we encourage the organizers to keep going at it till we have our own Russell Brands and Sarah Silvermans to set the mark.

Stay tuned on their Facebook page to watch out for upcoming comedy events.

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp

Highlights.

Latest.

KAMU.

Beyond the Hook: Exploring Totally Hooked’s non-Seafood dishes

By Hashini Pathirana Totally Hooked CMB, as we are all aware, is widely renowned for

Kamu Yamu Guide

The Art of Fusion Cuisine at Mövenpick Hotel

By Vera Wadugodapitiya We walked into Robata Grill, Mövenpick. Instantly, what struck me about the

Highlights Kamu

A Taste of Mexico – Cinnamon Red’s Latest International Cuisine

By Shamrina Carim Every month, Cinnamon Red has come up with an exciting initiative to

Highlights Kamu

A Classical High Tea Encounter with the Coronation at Mount Lavinia Hotel

By Shamrina Carim Mount Lavinia Hotel hosted a casual evening of classic high tea encounters

Highlights Kamu

The Bento Box at Royal Thai, Cinnamon Lakeside

By Hiruni Herath When you step into the Royal Thai Restaurant at Cinnamon Lakeside, you’ll

Highlights Kamu

Totally Hooked – The Ultimate Seafood Destination

It is not a surprise that “Totally Hooked CMB", the talk of the seafood town,

Highlights Kamu

Trending.

Club Hotel Dolphin, Negombo: A Fun-Filled Paradise for Travelers!

Nestled in the picturesque coastal town of Negombo, Sri Lanka, Club Hotel Dolphin by Browns

Trending

Chef Sanjay Brings the Flavours of Our Neighbours to Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo

Colombo, Monday 05th June 2023: Despite Sri Lanka’s proximity to the Indian Sub-Continent and a

Trending

Award Winning Indian Restaurant Junior Kuppanna in Colombo

Junior Kuppanna, opened its newest international branch in Colombo on 25th May 2023. The new

Trending

Hilton Sri Lanka Unveils ‘Enchanting Beginnings’ Wedding Sale

Swoon over exclusive wedding packages in stunning venues for a lifetime of memories Colombo, Sri

Trending

Ramada Colombo’s Exclusive Limited Time Wedding Discount

Book before June 15th and enjoy 25% off Planning the perfect wedding can be an

Trending

The 30th Gratiaen Prize shortlist was announced with the launch of the Gratiaen Trust Young Writers Club

The Gratiaen Trust in association with the John Keells Foundation partnering with the Trust for

Trending

Yamu Guide.

7 Yoga Studios in and around Colombo

By Udaraa Gamage Are you looking for ways to escape from all that hustling and

Highlights Yamu Guide

Beyond the Hook: Exploring Totally Hooked’s non-Seafood dishes

By Hashini Pathirana Totally Hooked CMB, as we are all aware, is widely renowned for

Kamu Yamu Guide

7 Decent BnB spots for under LKR 7500 – Sri Lanka

We all like spending mini vacations at affordable spots to relax or stay on the

Highlights Yamu Guide

7 Places to Dine Under LKR1500 LKR per person

By Udaraa Gamage Are you a foodie looking for budget places to satisfy your taste

Highlights Yamu Guide

The Aesthetics of Club Palm Bay

Club Palm Bay is a hotel located in the heart of a charming fishing village

Yamu Guide

High Tea Affairs at L.A.B by Hilton Colombo

By Hashini Pathirana A little chit chat with your besties, while sipping onto an Iced

Yamu Guide