LONDON - A group of aspiring Filipino stand-up comedians joined forces for a collective act featured at a regular karaoke and comedy night in Earl’s Court.
The monthly show, dubbed “Karaokrayan”, turned an innocent-looking church hall in West London into a temple innuendo and dirty jokes with musical parody and pastiche.
Launched in February 2012, the show features a mixture of karaoke and slapstick comedy with audience participation and a distinct Filipino sense of humor.
“We want to bring Filipino comedy here in the UK. In the Philippines, especially in Manila, every bar has a comedy show like this, but we don’t have it here in London,” said Perry Roque, organizer of the event.
The show also aims to provide a platform for Filipino talents in comedy and music. It currently features UK-based aspiring comics Miss BJ, Mudak, Miss Pookay, and Borak, as well as hostess and entertainer Ate Diva and a number of special guests.
“Upcoming Filipino comics get some exposure by doing this, and loads of them have had offers from other venues and events after being in this show,” she added.
Miss Pookay, who donned a skimpy black dress and a blonde wig, is the latest act to join the group. Speaking to ABS-CBN Europe at her first gig, she said: “Being an introducing act tonight, I’m very nervous. But I have a lot of support from friends and co-comedians who are helping me a lot, so it’s okay. Our act is a combination of everything: singing, dancing and making fun of ourselves and the audience.”
Dozens of Filipinos, together with other nationalities, packed St Cuthbert’s Church Hall to see Miss Pookay’s debut and the rest of the comedy act, who cheered eagerly with laughter and heckles. Some guests also volunteered to perform their favorite karaoke songs, from OPM classics to popular Western music, with varying degrees of accomplishment.
“It’s important for all Filipinos in London. Comedy is a part of our daily lives, and because we’re far from the Philippines, at the moment there are no acts similar to this in London. Hope it’s here to stay and maybe we can make it popular here in the UK,” Miss Pookay explained.
The comedians took turns on stage each with their solo materials, as well as doing tandems and group performances. They hurled insults and digs at each other and the audience about relationships, sex, and fashion, to name a few, as well as performing karaoke songs of classic divas and famous tunes, from Madonna to Whitney Houston.
“It’s interesting and fun. It feels good if you’re laughing with kababayans, because life can be sad away from home. This is why we came up with this kind of entertainment: to bring smile to people,” added Mudak, who founded the act earlier this year.
Karaokrayan is a fusion of classic karaoke, a popular Filipino past-time, and ‘okrayan’, a slang word from the gay community in the Philippines.
“It’s a way of making fun of yourself or other people without causing offense. There is a bottom line when you’re giving jokes to people. You have to assess their facial expressions because they might get offended with the jokes you do. You have to be careful,” Mudak explained.
Karaokrayan will run at St Cuthbert’s Church Hall until December 2012.
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