Improvisational comedy has recently seen a rise in Karachi, where many improv troupes are coming forward, the most recent being the Khwatoons, Pakistan’s first all female comedy troupe. However, the frontrunner seems to be the Lol Waalay boys who are not only the most well known gang around the block but have also started experimenting with the format by adding celebrity appearances to their shows.
Joined by guest participants, Ali Gul Pir and Ali Safina, the Lol Waalay improv troupe gave Karachi a night full of glorious humour.
COMICRELIEF
Improv comedy’s most popular group stage a rollicking night of laugher in Karachi.
Improvisational comedy has recently seen a rise in Karachi, where many improv troupes are coming forward, the most recent being the Khwatoons, Pakistan’s first all female comedy troupe. However, the frontrunner seems to be the Lol Waalay boys who are not only the most well known gang around the block but have also started experimenting with the format by adding celebrity appearances to their shows.
In a show performed at Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) this past weekend, the Lol Waalay troupe members - Osama Sami, Sannan Wastani, Zubair Tariq – had the audience cheering with excitement as soon as the night began since they added guest participants to their line-up.
The first guest participant on the show was the incomparable Ali Gul Pir, a multi-faceted artist who started his career with improv and went on to feature in Aisa Karoge Toh Kaun Ayega, Pakistan’s first Urdu comedy troupe, and the television series, Lipton Light On Hai with Azfar Ali.
The second guest participant to make a mark on the audience was Ali Safina, the LSA nominated actor and host who had no prior experience with improvisational comedy. Safina was approached by Pir to be the second celebrity on the show. “I thought why not try something new?” said Safina before he went on stage to deliver a very strong first performance. Having prior acting experience really helped Safina in leaving a lasting impression.
Other celebrities to have featured on the show in the past include names like Saad Haroon, Pakistan’s most famous stand-up comedian, and theatre director Nida Butt.
“This was a fun experiment for us, working with other celebrities. We want to try more of this in the future, approaching other celebrities. But this isn’t going to be a regular format. It’s just something we wanted to try for now,” explained Sami in a post-event conversation with Instep.
Given the trying times we live in, the regularity and effort with which a comedy troupe like Lol Waalay performs is something to be appreciated. So here’s to many more shows.
