Laughter is the best medicine, as the cliché goes. Laughter over a splendid meal is the sweetest medicine one can ask for. Can you have both in equal proportions? Yes, you can. Centerstage promises to bring both for you this Sunday. Six actors will entertain you for over an hour at the well-known Asian bar and restaurant in Whitefield — Like That Only at an evening of Comedy under the Stars with The Improv, an improvisational comedy show produced by Centerstage.
Conceptualised, hosted and directed by filmmaker Saad Khan, The Improv will be performed by actor Siddhanth Sundar, RJ Danish Sait, stand-up comedian Kenneth Sebastian, Naveen Kumar, Sal Yusuf and Saad Khan.
“The Improv is not a theatrical show, there’s no script. It’s about how a group of funny people come together and the audience gets involved. And the dining aspect adds more spice to the performance,” says Saad.
Saad will act as the mediator between the audience and the actors. Essentially, the performance will be completely live. The audience would have to give the actors a situation and the actors will enact something outrageously hilarious from what is given.
And no, it’s not the same as Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the hit short form improvisational comedy show. Saad has an explanation: “See it’s like this. Love Actually and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge are both romantic films, but they have completely different stories. That’s the difference between Whose Line…and The Improv.”
The Improv, in fact, was performed in Hyderabad and Mumbai to a favourable response. “The audience was very sporting. They gave such situations as a cop catching a drunken driver, a politician talking to an education minister.”
Each of the six actors has a unique sense of humour.
“Siddhanth or Sid is the unbelievable ‘expression’ man. Danish Sait, as is well known in Bangalore, is the unbeatable prankster. Kenneth Sebastian is the 'Comic Heartthrob'. Naveen Kumar is the 'Dark Knight'. Sal Yusuf is the ‘Funny Foreigner’ and I am the ‘Inimitable Filmmaker,’” says Saad.
Saad, the founder of CenterStage, recalls his college days, when he and good friend Siddhanth used to perform improvisational comedy in their college canteen. “We used to perform Improv in the canteen and soon students from college would gather to watch us perform. Siddhanth has co-conceptualised The Improv.”
As for why they chose to perform in LikeThatOnly, Saad says: “It has a quirky, whimsical environment, and some great food. Besides, we have performed in Bangalore, but not in that side of town ever. So we chose to perform here.”
The producers of The Improv are Maaz Khan, Pooja Sampath and Centerstage partner, Sumit Ghosh.
The Improv will be held at LikeThatOnly, Whitefield on August 25 at 7 p.m. sharp. Passes are priced at Rs. 1,000 per head and includes one beverage. The passes are available at LikeThatOnly, call 65475610, at Monkey Bar, Wood Street and at Olive Beach, Wood Street.
