Comedy Wagon is all set to unleash comedians from across the world at the third edition of the Bengaluru Comedy Festival (BCF). Boasting of names such as Rohan Joshi, Ashish Shakya, Aditi Mittal, Varun Grover, Daniel Fernandes, Sanjay Manaktala, Amit Tandon, Vipul Goyal, Abhishek Upmanyu and Rahul Subramanian this edition will feature solo shows, panel discussions, workshops, podcasts, fan jam, open mic and after-parties.
The festival is scheduled across eight stages in the city. Fifty seven artists will perform. “We started out with two days in 2015, which became five in 2016, and this year the festival is spread over 10 days,” says Sumendra Singh, or Sam, founder of Comedy Wagon and organiser of Bengaluru Comedy Festival.
Sam, who had the opportunity to work as an Associate Producer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival also visited the Edinburgh Fringe as an Arts Industry Delegate, earlier this year. Many principles from both these events have been applied to redesign the festival. “I believe this year we have come to our own. There is a strong focus on programming and keeping the festival inclusive. We have kept the ticket prices low and organized for feature spots for young, local comedians as well.”
Comedian Suhas Navaratana says, “Taking part in fests such as these brings in a community feeling amongst comics. We get to meet comics from all over and are exposed to different styles of comedy. It is also great for the audience as they get to see a variety of acts.”
Shridhar Venkataramana, another comic, says working alongside some of the best comedic talents is “an opportunity to pick the brains of comics who have perfected their craft.”
There would be an opening night gala and a series of solo shows spread across six venues. “We have introduced multiple runs of solo shows, like it happens in international comedy festivals. Since the festival is spread across 10 days, it gives the audience an opportunity to plan better,” Sam adds. Varun Grover will moderate a panel discussion on Languages in Stand-up.
Commenting on the women at the festival, Sam says, “We have been fortunate to have some of the best women comedians in our line-up. We also have panel discussions on how the comedy scene is evolving for women.”
Last year, the panel was moderated by Radhika Vaz and this year it will be moderated by Neeti Palta. It is not just representation that we care about but also understanding how we can make the working environment more comfortable for women artistes. The panels are curated for young comedians and fans, he says.
The Bengaluru Comedy Festival (BCF) is on from November 17 to 26 at The Collection - UB City. For details log on to www.comedywagon.com
