Crack the formula on how to deliver a joke with this workshop in Bandra

Participants will play improv games in the workshop

The joke is on you, if you think humour is an innate trait and cannot be taught. Over a four-day workshop, two professionals will attempt to crack the formula on how to deliver a joke. Nasir Engineer, founder of the organising group Flutr, and co-facilitator of the workshop, The Subtle Art of Humour, explains how, "I will be conducting this workshop along with Rohit Nair. Both of us are professionals in improv. Rohit is also a screenwriter. The idea was to bring his expertise in writing and mine in improv to teach individuals how to leverage their social and professional lives through humour."

Much like any other art form, Engineer tell us, this one too has tools that can help ace humour. "Here, we will teach them techniques that are widely known and used to derive humour." One such tool is the incongruity theory. "First, you set up a character and a premise. Then you take the character through the various journeys along the premise," the improv coach explains. Once the audience is already expecting something to happen, you invert their thought process. "You deliver a punchline that violates the thinking pattern of your audience."

Breaking it down, he cites an example from the famous show Mr. Bean. "Imagine Mr. Bean. He is walking and spots a beautiful woman. He continues walking while his head is still looking at the woman across from him. That's when he runs into a pole. On day two, the same thing happens; he spots a woman and is looking at her instead of looking straight ahead while walking. But this time, he nearly misses the pole. He is aware of what happened last time and acted accordingly. We know now that he is safe. He takes another step ahead, and falls into a manhole," he narrates, demonstrating what violating the audience's thought process means, and how it generates laughter.

More such tools like straight and wavy-line characters, body language and metaphorical relationships, among others, will be taught in the workshop. They will also include improv games like word association and screen painting to get participants comfortable with their own self and discover what kind of humour suits them best. While the workshop is a week away, registrations are filling in. "Among them is a woman who studies and manages behavioural changes in teenagers. She told us that she wants to use humour as a means to connect with them better. It was delightful and amusing to know how humour can prove to be an efficient tool across professions. It helps ease a situation, break the ice and manage conflicts. It is also an amazing tool to charm others!" Towards the end, each participant will also write a few original funny sketches.

On: February 17 onwards
At: Candies, Pali Hill, Bandra West.
Log on to: insider.in (for registrations); flutr.co.in (for timings and other details)
Call: 8369564532
Cost: Rs 2,000 (for one day); Rs 10,500 (for all days)