Comedy Masala: Firing jokes like crazy babies with shotguns

It was how he weaved his jokes into narratives and created characters that related them to recent happenings

KARACHI: Comedy Masala International returned to Karachi recently with some new comedians. The international comedy club’s founder Umar Rana, along with his partners including marketing director Haris Qasim, brought Eli Nicholas and Alonzo Bodden from the US to entertain the local crowd.

While even before the comics took the centre, Rana set up the mood for them, interacting with the crowd, getting to know them better… and well, asking them common questions (about their occupation, etc.) that they would never be able to answer with a straight face again.

Nicholas, who is born in Thailand and brought up in LA, performed in the opening act, talking to audience about his upbringing surrounded by diverse cultures, and his sex life (or lack thereof until recently). He got the audience going with his anecdotes of various encounters with ghetto women.



But it was Bodden, who literally made your jaws hurt with laughter. The seasoned comedian has performed on NBC, as well as appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien among others, and worked in films. With a large exposure and experience of decades, Bodden, in his Karachi shows, showcased a killer ability for improv.

While he made jokes about the things foreigners usually notice in Pakistan, it was how he weaved them around into narratives and created characters, relating them to recent happenings and internet phenomenon that made his performance a success. His observations on people’s driving in Pakistan were astute and hilarious while one couldn’t help but laugh like a maniac when he talked about what local food did to his body.

But, more than anything, Bodden’s performance involved an incredible amount of improvisation. A ton of comedians interact with the audience and then move on with their regular set. But the American funnyman let his wit and sharp storytelling skills do the work and for the most of time on stage, interacted with them, throwing one-liners at them like a baby with a shotgun.

PHOTO:RAHUL AIJAZ

It’s difficult to hold the attention of a room full of people. Especially when one is a performer, the people have huge expectations from you. And not many can walk on stage and make their performance an open two-way street. Bodden was clearly comfortable and with his quick-wittedness, ready for any respond to anything that came his way. With him sharing something about himself and getting to know audience members, he converted his performance into a cool banter over tea session with a friend you never knew you had. However, Bodden’s mastery lies not only in his improvisation skills, but his ability to make you comfortable with yourself and laugh.



With this second showing of Comedy Masala International, Rana has proved how important it is for the local and international artists to get together on a platform and share their knowledge and skills. And it was particularly encouraging to see the local comics in attendance. Comedy Masala return in July with three international performers, Jonathan Atherton (Australia) Stephen Carlin (Scotland) and Rex Navarette (USA).

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.