In good humour

BENGALURU: The work from home life can be one full of drudgery. Some city-based artistes, however, are trying to help Bengalureans cope with it through the age-old medicine of laughter. The Funny Monks is a group of city residents from different fields like banking, data science and engineering, whose upcoming improv show aims to lighten the mood around this new way of life. Called Cabin Fever: Comedy Live, the show will have these professionals by day, comedians by night look at impromptu sketches around topics like everything that goes wrong with video calls, how things have changed with the coronavirus pandemic, how chai breaks and parties are all virtual, and more.

“There’s no script. We play off of what the audience members give us,” says Aditya HK, a data analytics specialist at Swiggy and one of the members of the group that was formed three years ago. The other members are: Banti Banerjee, a programme manager in banking; mechanical engineer Jyotirmaya Behera; and Sanket N, who is an actor and emcee.  

Aditya says improv comedy is a form of comedic art where all performances are spontaneous and unscripted. He adds, “For example, two members from the group will play the roles of an employee and a manager. We then ask the audience members to give us an object. It could be something as wild as a gun and then we’ll build humour around it.” His fellow member, Banerjee, says, “Since we build this in front of the audience, everything is fresh.” The idea, she adds, is to lighten the mood and help people release some endorphins. 

The one-hour show would have the members interact with the audience every 5 or 10 minutes – which is quite different from a one-way online comedy show. This connection, the members hope, might help someone find solace even in isolation. “We want them to feel like they are a part of the show. Maybe they can also find the content relatable and realise that no one is alone. We’re all in this together,” says Aditya. 
The live show, hosted by Dialogues, will take place on Aug 29 at 7pm. Tickets are priced at `150. Check 
dialogues.space for more details.