Whoever said laughter is the best medicine wasn’t too far from the truth.
Now,
Having attended hundreds, if not thousands of comedy shows all across Africa, and being a stand-up comedian myself, I can authoritatively state that laughter is indeed, also the best therapy: In fact, I strongly believe that when the coiners of the English language were inventing the dictionary, they should have added therapy as one of the many synonyms for laughter; but that’s just me…
Moving on swiftly… (Sort of)
“We just had our first baby and we have been so overwhelmed but coming here tonight was a breath of fresh air.” Said a young woman who was in the company of her significant other at a comedy show I attended a few years ago.
Class, what does that tell you? Laughter indeed does help us deal with our everyday challenges; at least to an extent, right?
Okay.. still doubting me, I see. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you go check it out for yourself?
The Joke Machine is a stand-up comedy show that happens every Friday at Nairobi’s first full-time comedy club, The Nairobi Laugh Bar.
Initially a regular Stand-up comedy night, The Joke Machine has in recent times morphed into an improv-style show where the audience gets to decide what the comedian will talk about by writing suggestions down on a piece of paper and then dropping them inside a bucket.
In the same spirit, the Laugh Therapy edition of The Joke Machine allows the audience to write down what they may be going through in their day-to-day lives, and the very experienced comedians, try to help.
It’s a format that has been tried and tested in such cities as Manchester, London, Toronto, and now Nairobi. While we can’t speak to it’s effectiveness in dealing with some deeper-rooted issues, it sure it an excellent means to let out; and have some fun while you’re at it!
To book a session for you and your friends.. or family, visit the Standup Collective website and book a seat.
