ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: Humour, either gallows or slapstick, is the perfect remedy for these cheerless times. If as a last recourse it has been advised to visit the theatre or the cinema to get over whatever pall may be upon you then it is time to take just such advice and watch ‘Shark’, an improvised comedy by an amateur troupe from Karachi.

It is the brain child of Saad Haroon, a veteran of the comedy circuit. His name may sound familiar to those who know BlackFish, a group he helped found. The seven-member troupe coprising Daniyal, Sana, Danish, Jaffer, Sohaib, Umair (a former son of Islamabad) along with Saad is in Islamabad on the last leg of its counry -wide tour with shows on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Going into the show I was hesitant with my expectations. Having read the reviews that the tour had been earning I was disappointed; Having known Haroon’s work from before I expected a rip roaring account of Shark’s performances. But the reviewers were not so kind. They labeled them as amateurish, an act that was better left for someone’s living room. Yet I had to go for talk is cheap. And it proved to be downright miserly.

I am pleased to report that not only did Shark bite, it caught the audience hook, line and sinker. It was a performance that tickled all those assembled and had them in stitches. It is indeed a pleasant surprise to think that these were the same people who only a week back were called novices.

Why this is so one can’t really say but you’ve got to call a spade a spade and the show proved to be pure fun. If applause is anything to go by then a standing ovation should mean much but it was the laughter that was the true measure of the crowd’s appreciation.

The humour itself was nice and PC and was peppered with enough local references to make even the senior citizens attending laugh. It was neither corny nor lame but spot on.

The format of the show ran by the group enacting or playing certain games, like the world’s worst ... or Pakistani police, each game lasting for about 15 minutes. It would be tedious to explain the games themselves for descriptions do them no justice and they are always better watched in person. What was especially winning was its audience involvement. Each game began with some suggestion from an audience member and the ease with which the troupe interacted with them was particularly endearing. Contrary to what many said initially, it was hard to spot any gaffes or pauses; it is only human for some jokes to fall flat but at least they were self deprecating about it.

The scene stealer by far was Saad Haroon himself; he commanded the stage. The troupe he has put together over 6 months equally matches his humour and comfort on stage. Though a member or two chose to be more low key, the ensemble effort was commendable. Uzair of Phillipe fame from the Phantom of the Opera said he was ‘wowed’ and was most certain to return. Omer, an audience, added that he laughed so hard the back of his head hurt.

Shark is an all round romp of a performance that is most deserving of an encore. It is a breath of fresh air. If you’ve got time on your hands and some money (the tickets only Rs500) then it’s definitely worth a bite.