Sunday outings to Cubbon Park now come with a dose of comedy. Two standup comedy groups hold open mics that are free to attend and perform at. Metrolife brings you details.
Suno Bey
This collective has been organising comedy open mics near the State Central Library at Cubbon Park since 2018. They hold two sessions back to back, from 8.30 am to 10 am and then from 10.15 am to 11.30 am. They have put up more than 1,000 open mics at the sprawling park and given a break to many amateurs.
Their aim is to popularise comedy and open mics have always been a forum for amateurs to test jokes, shares Debashish Rath from the team.
“We allow 12 people to perform per session but for that, they must meet us and register by 8.30 am. We do not mentor them but they often network and learn from each other,” he
says.
These events are held informally without the stage or sound equipment, and the crowd turnout is usually 25 to 30. “The park security personnel have never questioned us or disrupted our events,” he points out.
For details, call 83173 86334, or look up sunobey.in
Earthling Productions
This group was born a year ago to accommodate the growing influx of amateur comedians Suno Bey was seeing at the park.
Debashish says, “One day, close to 25 comics came to our open mic to perform. So we requested the team of Earthling Productions to hold a separate open mic.”
As a result, Earthling Productions organises open mics near the High Court on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.30 am to 11 am.
Kishore from the team explains why these outdoor open mics are drawing a good response: “New comics, and even experienced artistes like myself, aren’t guaranteed a spot at open mics happening in cafes in the city. We have more artistes than venues for them to perform.”
He points to another factor: “People who come to Cubbon Park are potentially those who watch comedy online and follow comedians. We get a good turnout.”
Call 89715 83703 or follow earthlingscomedytheatre on Instagram