One of Brighton’s most bizarre comedy nights returns this coming Thursday with Komedia’s fourth instalment of Comedians Cinema Club: an improvised show where a team of comedians recreate cinema classics, complete with ridiculous homemade costumes and a good helping of audience participation.
The concept was originally dreamt up by French actor and comedian Eric Lampaert and was introduced to North Laine’s iconic comedy, clubbing and cinema venue Komedia by Laura Lexx. Laura is taking part in Thursday’s performance alongside seven other Comedians Cinema Club regulars in a recreation of Pixar family classic, Monsters, Inc.. She describes the night as unashamedly “unpolished”. “That’s what’s fun about it,” she explains. “There are no rules and everyone’s in on the joke.”
Previous performances have seen Beauty and the Beast’s Lumiére singing complete with gaffer-taped candle-hands, and grim 2003 crime drama Monster’s recreation joined on stage by an audience of pretend-roller-blading hen partiers. Other films the Club has tackled include Jurassic Park, E.T. and – somehow – a one-show reimagining of the entire Harry Potter series.
Monsters, Inc. promises to be a fun challenge for the comedians participating, at the very least because character allocations are only announced the night before and each participant must make their own costume. Seeing a 24-hour attempt at the enormous one-eyed head of Mike Wazowski should prove every bit as entertaining as the performance itself.
For those two members of the British student population who aren’t familiar with the film, it tells the story of Mike and his fellow monster friend Sully, who both work for Monsters Inc., a cooperation providing energy for the city of Monstropolis in the form of children’s screams. Sully is the company’s top scarer, and with Mike working as his assistant, the two navigate a mechanised conveyor of portals leading into children’s bedrooms, terrifying them and harvesting their cries for fuel. All goes wrong however when one child, Boo, wanders through the portal and accidentally wreaks havoc by showing up in downtown Monstropolis.
It’s one of those films where you forget just how absurd – and somewhat disturbing – the plot is until you hear it told back to you. All that ridiculousness should make for some excellent comedic ammunition. If you’re as excited and baffled as we are then get yourself to Komedia Thursday night for Monsters, Inc. as you’ve never seen it before.
This is a one off performance on Thursday 21 September starting at 8pm (Doors 7:30pm).
Tickets £5
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons