Pakistan Tehreek-e-Comedy (PTC), an amateur theatre and standup comedy group, recently presented their 2nd Comic Conference at Alhamra The Mall.

I, along with a friend, arrived at the venue only to find out that it was quite a turnout and a queue had already been formed. As we waited outside the door of Hall III, I noticed how the atmosphere seemed quite charged; everyone looked ecstatic about the event.

As I hadn’t attended the Comic Conference last year, I was unsure what to expect and even thought (scream of horror!) that it would be boring. And boy, was I wrong!

First impressions can be deceiving. I say this because the interior of the hall was rather unwelcoming and as we waited for the show to start, dread had begun to set in. It wasn’t an easy wait as it took 30 minutes to start but during this time all I heard were praises about the actors and their previous event.

Silence fell as soon as Shah Fahad, the main man behind the show, took the podium. Introduction of actors followed and the hall rang with applause and hooting, indicating that most of the people (youngsters) knew what was in store.

The group began with a scripted, live documentary about the epic Noor Mohammad, a fictional character, whose example we cannot find in history. The documentary included snippets from various media and cricket personalities and the mimicries were on point!

The cues were perfect and their manner of delivery was superb. The live documentary, while being positively hilarious, also highlighted certain political concerns and the transition of man from heights of fame into oblivion. Noor Mohammad, will always live, in my memory.

As the documentary came to an end, the audience was informed that a series of games will start. Each game began with the help of the audience as they determined roles for the actors who would then improvise.

While the audience laughed their lungs out, this group of people completely owned the stage. They moved around with ease, comfortable with each other’s actions, dialogues and their chemistry set the stage on fire.

The audience seemed to enjoy the fact that they were constantly being included, they also kept chiming in as the improv acts went on. Not only did the actors have an excellent rapport, it was obvious that they were quite enjoying the activities themselves.

One such activity required a participant from the audience and a girl named Fatima volunteered. Despite this being a spur-of-the-moment thing, she performed wonderfully and was confident in her act.

As I sat and wished for the conference to not end, I came to the realisation that we desperately need more events like these. We, as a nation, need to develop a sense of humour and there is always room for laughter. Endeavours such as these will not only offer respite to people from their hectic routines but will also help uplift Pakistan’s entertainment sector.

At the end; we were informed that this will be a monthly activity from now onwards as Dramaducation had collaborated with Alhamra Arts Council. The monthly activities will, however, be ticketed. After attending this, I believe it will be absolutely worth it.