Indicinelive! 6 is brutally honest hilarity, sometimes too brutal
Razor-sharp comedy sketches with a welcome dose of cynical, political incorrectness.
Indicinelive! 6, a sketch comedy show now playing at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), pokes irreverent fun at the expense of many individuals, including in areas not expected, but more than welcome.
The keyword here is good taste. Numerous comedies fall flat for either not trying hard enough or trying too hard whilst forgetting the relatable aspect.
It’s a relief to see that Indicinelive’s director Kelvin Wong and his team of writers understand the balancing act between satirical farce and downright tomfoolery. It’s a tightrope they’ve successfully walked.
There’s a lot of good sketches here, most of them razor-sharp and with cynicism and political correctness to boot.
Parodies of Malaysian shenanigans are thrown at the audience in rapid-fire succession, with some of them sadly missing but a lot of them hitting, hard.
Topics from 1MDB, boba tea, Birkin bags, white privilege, racial misunderstandings, social wokeness and working blues are covered, and the internal laugh-meter of this reviewer – and from the sounds of it, those of the accompanying audience members – went haywire.
The show isn’t entirely perfect. There are a few sketches where jokes fell flat – specifically the one involving Marie Kondo – but not because of a lack of trying.
Most of these sketches were delivered via some sort of gimmick – ie a musical number, or silent “Charlie Chaplin” skit.
But for the most part, the biggest complaint is that many sketches were wrapped-up too quickly before the next one began. Then again, maybe this was deliberate as it does leave the audience wanting more. Also, a little dry humour goes a long way.
What is appreciated is that most of the jokes usually build-up momentum to a killer punchline.
In comparison with local mainstream “comedy”, Indicinelive 6! offers up more hysterical moments than any of the past decade’s local comedy films combined.
It’s a huge relief to see Malaysia’s equivalent to MAD Magazine or the early years of Saturday Night Live! being played out before a live studio audience, though on a smaller scale. These guys, and their humour, need to go big, pronto.
There’s a big difference between laughing at a person for their actions and laughing at the enveloping absurdity that stem from such actions. Wong and his team get it and floor the latter.
For those jaded with current local events or Malaysian “comedy”, look no further for this week and the next.
MUSICAL COMEDY: Indicinelive 6!
DATE: July 18 – August 4
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VENUE: The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)