What happens when an all-women group of comedians decide to take centre stage? They break the stage down, hilariously speaking! They shun misconceptions that ‘women aren’t funny’ with their impromptu, improvised, on the moment funniest of funny jokes, making you laugh your hearts out. When they perform, you don’t just watch; you participate.
Here’s presenting India’s only all-women group Hysterical Comedy Collaborative (formerly Hysterical Improv), born from the soils of Chennai, all set for their 25th show in the city. Active since August, 2020, the group was formed in May after a thorough session of jamming to check the ‘vibe’. “We asked people to apply and received 120 applications! We met 60 out of them for a jamming session to see who has the potential to be a team player, who has the time to commit because this is an art form that is not result oriented, but process oriented. For the last one-and-a-half years, we’ve been meeting consistently four times a week. So, that kind of commitment is what I was looking for,” says founder Shalini Vijayakumar.
Initially, the group was formed with eight women, and three more were added only recently. The group comprises founder and coach Shalini Vijayakumar, and team members Bashpa, Humsika, Kanupriya, Keerthana, Monika, Nandita, Neha, Saga, Varsha, Vinithra, and Shalini.
With a mix of Tamil and English, in Hysterical Comedy Collaborative ’s performance, you will find all of the genres of comedy that one has been exposed to — observational, anecdotal, subtle, dark, as well as political humour. “We create scenes, we have visual humour, pop culture references, dark humour, and lots more. In our group, everybody has a different style; it sort of blends in,” says Shalini, adding, “This is our 25th show, but it’s as good as our first show because ours is in the moment art form. So, all I can say to those who are coming for our show is, please expect the unexpected, just come and have a party! We will crack a bunch of inside jokes based on audience prompts and together we’re going to create something fun!”
Improv comedy, Shalini explains, demands no script. “I wouldn’t say there’s no preparation though, but we definitely don’t have anything that is written or decided for the performance. The preparation is more to do with practice to be spontaneous on the stage. We challenge ourselves at rehearsals and practice every outcome so that when we are put in a spot, we don’t feel lost. Like in sports, when you play a volleyball match, the team has to keep practising because it’s a team game. One may not necessarily know what moves a player makes, but the more prepared you are as a group, the better the game.”
Sounds challenging? Of course! The real challenge, however, is about commitment, as Shalini tells us. “That is one of the most important and very unfortunate aspects about improv because it’s about the process itself, you need to really commit to practicing and being better at it.”
Before forming Hysterical Comedy Collaborative, Shalini was with another group, where she was the only woman. “That explains why I wanted to start an all-women group. Improv as an art form is very personal and spontaneous. And I felt like a lot of instinctive things would have matched if I could share it with another woman. That led me to start an all-women group.
Shalini continues, “I wanted to create a platform for women comics. I’m also a theatre artiste for 11 years. The number of women that exist in theatre do not exist in comedy. Also, as a woman, I have had comments like, ‘Oh, we didn’t expect you to be this funny!’ which I think is a very unintentionally backhanded compliment. So, I wanted more women to have a platform where they can be unfiltered, not worried about judgment or self doubt. Hysterical is a safe space for women to use comedy as a tool.”
Tickets at Rs 299.
February 25, 4 pm.
At Medai — The Stage, Alwarpet.
Hysterical Comedy Collaborative is open for corporate shows.
rupam@newindianexpress.com
@rupsjain
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