By Isabel Ovalle
The comedy scene in Qatar moved up a level with the foundation of Stand-Up Comedy Qatar (SUCQ), a club headed by Halal Bilal, a journalist from South Africa who moved to Doha in 2010. He started the initiative with the aim of bringing comedy within reach of everyone. Little by little the group grew and now has over 20 comedians.
Bilal first got interested in comedy after taking part in a charity event in South Africa. “I found myself on the stage making people laugh for a few minutes. I got hooked on getting an amazing reaction from people, which gives me a great feeling. It’s like going into a cage with a lion. It can either bite your head off, or be playful,” he joked.
The main challenge and advantage of doing comedy here is appealing to a diverse audience, with people from 20 to 30 countries attending a show. The key to success is pleasing this heterogeneous group. “It’s one of the most difficult audiences I have ever faced, and I have done comedy all over the world,” said Bilal.
Spectators at a show can include Qataris and Western, Arab and Asian expats. So it is difficult to find lines that everyone will find funny, given that, more often than not, each culture has its own perspective on any issue.
To prepare up and coming comedians for such a challenging audience, SUCQ hosts comedy workshops where experienced comedians teach newbies the “not so funny side of comedy,” said the founder of the group. At these classes, humorists learn how to carry their voice, present themselves on stage and take control of an audience.
“Some people are naturally funny, but don’t make good comedians. Once they understand the process of comedy, they do really well,” added Bilal.
The workshops bring together about a dozen people, who later get the chance to perform on a monthly basis for small audiences. These shows allow the comedians to practise and get prepared for bigger events held once or twice a year with internationally acclaimed funny men.Every time there’s a workshop, the pool of humorists grows, and so does the quality of the comedy. In addition, there are regular brainstorming sessions to come up with attractive topics for the diverse audience, given that even on general issues like the weather or traffic, everyone has a different take.
“The comedy here is a lot more respectful than in other places because you have to cultivate the loyalty of your spectators. If you offend them, they’re not going to stay, they’re going to leave,” said Bilal.
He says there is a gradual educational process going on because stand-up comedy is a Western concept and to take roots here it has to have its own flavour and grow in its own way.
Major international media houses like CNN and The New York Times have featured stories about the comedy scene in Qatar. However, many residents still don’t know much about it. Finding affordable venues has also proved to be a challenge and sponsors are still hesitant to support comedians because they think it might be controversial.
Bilal is reluctant to call SUCQ a club because, even after three years, it doesn’t have a home of its own. “I would call it a movement,” he said, adding that they frequently collaborated with comedians from neighbouring countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Five comedians from Saudi Arabia took part in a big event this year at Qatar National Convention Center, with the shows being almost exclusively in English.
People who want to join only have to be interested in stand-up comedy. “We have about a handful who are really good. Others are at various stages of improving,” said the comedian.
