Written by: Areeba Tharwani
Posted on: March 14, 2018 | 
| 中文
The performers with Nida, the host
Thotspot hosted yet another entertaining event last Saturday, called ‘Spotlight: Humari Game.’ It was an open-mic comedy night, showcasing ten stand-up comedians of different ages, from all walks of life. As the name suggests, the night’s theme was the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. Since I have never been a huge cricket fan, I was a little sceptical of attending the comedy show at first, but to my great relief, only a few comedians made PSL references that I could not understand, and the rest of the show was a highly enjoyable experience.
In the order of appearance, the ten comedians that performed their sets were: Ahsan Sabz, Armoghan Bela, Hasan Zia, Suleman Asif, Waqar Siddiqui, Salman Parekh, Ali Asgher Kapasi, Sharik Kazi, Usama Khan Ghauri and Salman Ali. Each set was about 10 minutes long. The comedians had a variety of jokes and topics prepared to talk about, ranging from school, family, dating to jobs, religion, politics and of course, sports and cricket. It was fascinating to watch them dissect everyday happenings, and put a humorous spin on things.
Armoghan Bela, who ironically hates cricket and PSL, made hilarious cricket related jokes, by accurately enacting the environment at an average Pakistani home during a cricket match screening. Suleman Asif talked about the Urdu Language, making intelligent puns on difficult Urdu words. His set was well received by the audience. Salman Ali related to the audience what it means to come from a truly middle class family. My personal favourite was Usama Khan Ghauri’s little piece, about the woes of taking your Pakistani mother shopping. He accurately described the mother’s stellar bargaining skills and her child’s exasperation as he waits for her to finish. His expressions were the cherry on top, and the set left me with a stitch in my side!
During some sets, however, I looked around and sensed disapproval among the audience for the content being used by the performer. Since all comedians do not have the same sense of humour, one might not agree with, or laugh at all of their jokes. Nevertheless, one should attend such shows with an open mind, and an honest intention to really loosen up and laugh heartily. After all, in the words of the hostess Nida, Spotlight is meant to encourage people to break through their inhibitions and perform in a safe, supportive space, without feeling judged. That being said, performers should also keep in mind that they are catering to a diverse audience, and consider refining their content to prevent it from being offensive.
Nida Fatima Syed started Spotlight as a bimonthly venture in May 2017. Up till now, she has hosted around 15 successful shows, featuring both international and local comedians. When asked about her vision for Spotlight, Nida said, “Spotlight is a platform for aspiring comedians to practice their craft and become professionals. It's a strictly non-curated show, keeping the essence of a true open-mic. I often meet the performers registered in the line-up for the first time on the day of the show. All of us end up using that element of surprise to build chemistry. It's great!” It’s evident from Nida’s hosting, that she tries to make sure the environment of her shows is welcoming and friendly; she engages with the audience throughout, while trying to create a comfortable space for all to mingle and enjoy in. You might come to the show alone, but you will leave feeling that you’ve been hanging out with a room full of friends! It’s definitely a great way to relax, unwind and maybe meet new and interesting people.
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