View a stand-up set performed by Mayank Perfine (L) at the Comedy Theater in the audience Hyderabad. Shot on OnePlus #Framesofindia | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur

Comedy Clubs are making their mark in Hyderabad’s entertainment scene. While cafes, auditoriums, and cultural places often host stand-up shows and open mixes, two dedicated places- comedy theater and street comedy club, which are taking center steps. Offering a platform for both emerging and experienced comedians to perform in English, Hindi and Telugu, these intimate places are injecting fresh energy in the city’s comedy circuit.

Adapted for laughter

Edel Rahman | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

This is a seven -day laughter festival in the comedy theater. Away in Vinayak Nagar, Gachibovali, this 70-seater club hosts three stand-up shows from 8 pm every week and closes quickly as 2 pm on the weekend. With the performance of both local comedians and artists from all over India, the site offers not only laughter but also food and beverages.

Gurgaon-based stand-up comedian Edel Rahman launched a comedy theater in Gurugram in 2022, followed by Hyderabad in May 2024. “Finding a performance place was always a struggle. Comedians will practice at home and perform with no dedicated audiences or proper sounding in parks or random spots, “he remembers .. After visiting Hyderabad for many gigs, Edel saw that the city’s comedy scenes were growing, but there was a lack of special places for the artists. “Comedians of Hyderabad were facing the same struggle as those in Gurugram. I wanted to make a place dedicated to comedy completely. ,

Kritarth Jha performs a stand-up show at a comedy theater in Hyderabad. Shot on OnePlus #Framesofindia | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur

The club has already hosted top names in the industry, including Abhijeet Ganguly, Daniel Fernandes and Akash Mehta, as well as Hyderabad’s Rajasekhar Mamidana, Rohit Swain, Sai Kiran and Vivek Muralitharan. While keeping the local scene alive, the comedy theater also promotes the Telugu stand-up with a dedicated weekend show.

Intimate setup preference light and technical precision. “Comedy does not work in large, open places with couch or high ceiling. Seating makes sure that laughter is contagious – if no one is laughing, they are bound to start when it is in the entire room, ”says Edel.

The club is currently starting with upcoming demonstrations by Rohan Joshi, Anu Menon, Kaustubh Agarwal, Shashi Dhiman, Devesh Dixit, and Sapan Verma. There are also plans for a comedy theater festival to mark their first anniversary in Hyderabad.

Stand-up show and open mix

An Open-Mai Session by Akash V at Street Comedy Club | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Street Comedy Club has become a place for stand-up show and open mix in Madhapur. Earlier, known as the fun side of Hyderabad, the site resumed in August 2023 with a new identity, marking its second innings since its establishment in 2021.

This comfortable 35-seater offers an intimate setting where comedy enthusiasts can enjoy an evening of laughter or test the new content budding comedians during open mix. ,Jagah chota hai, par fike comedy ka set-up ban jaata hai“(The space is small, but it determines the platform for great comedy), Samay Lal Mehta says, which manages the club.