The Heckling Show
Forged in the Fire
This feature is part of Forget The Box’s MTL Event Series.
Tucked upstairs on the ever-touristy St. Paul Street in Old Montreal, is one of the safest comedy rooms in town. Well, sort of. On the surface, Saanya Nanda’s monthly The Heckling Show would be the last thing most people would call safe; the name says it all, and every month comics take the stage knowing exactly what they're in for. The audience is encouraged to talk back, mouth off, get all their slurs out. On the other hand, it's all done with consent, and often, love. It's the equivalent of a comedy sex dungeon, and the rules of polite society are gleefully inapplicable here.
“It’s a verbal rage room,” Saanya tells me. “People are being proper and polite all day, and the pressure builds inside them. Here, they’re in the dark, in a safe environment, and they have permission to yell. I actually see them paying more attention than at regular comedy shows — they’re listening closely, waiting for an opening to jump in.”
Both times I've been, the crowd was comic heavy, which is perfect for the format. Having professionals scream shit helps loosen the audience up, and it becomes an unspoken competition of who can get the most laughs while off stage. And yes, you can shout whatever you have the nerve to. A group of seniors from Connecticut popped into the last show, possibly after a few drinks. They gleefully called the comics poor, and told them they were bad at comedy. Having never heard seniors heckle, I couldn't stop giggling.
Saanya Nanda hosts, explaining the format, and encouraging the audience to slowly open the tap on their no-no words. “What's your favorite slur?” she asks, picking people out of the crowd. Some have curses on the tip of their tongues, some freeze up, and Nanda offers up some options, meeting them where they are. She riles up the room, having them hurl words at her as she smiles. “Yes! That's a good one!” she affirms, and people start to get comfortable.
The question that plagued me later was how she gets into a mindset that makes it all ok. “I don’t have to get into the mindset — I’m living it. If anything, this show is a more controlled version of my reality. The attacks are invited. The assault is consensual. All attention is good attention.”
Saanya Nanda
For their part, the comedians are knowingly signing up exactly for this. Some come ready to insult the hecklers, some are simply quick on their feet. Others use silence as their instrument, their faces and body language saying it all, as they lean into the absurdity of the situation. It truly makes it even funnier.
When I heckle-asked a comedian why he was dressed like Steve Irwin, he didn't miss a beat, saying that he was hoping to wrestle a beast, and that it could be me. As the insults flew at another comedian, he took a moment to remind us all that he makes more money from comedy monthly than we all have in our lives, and that he didn't care what a bunch of open mic’ers thought of him. It was a fantastic comeback, an undeniable fact, and it left the room in stitches.
But first and foremost, as Saanya said, it's controlled and consensual. When a comedian was briefly overwhelmed, he stepped off the makeshift stage, and the audience went quiet. He took a breath, stepped back up, and the heckles re-commenced. It was proof that while this might appear to be Audience versus Comedian, it's actually teamwork. The audience leaves having vented and laughed, and the comedians: “They get forged in the fire. They learn survival. They walk out tougher, sharper, and unbreakable,’ Nanda told me.
And Saanya Nanda knows what it takes to be funny while on trial by fire. She was featuring at Yuk Yuk’s just two years into comedy; not a position for the faint of heart, and certainly a testament to her talent. (Check out her FTB Feature Friday here.) Her time in T.O. is to thank for The Heckling Show’s format.
“When I first moved to Toronto about five years ago, I discovered a show called Danger Room at the Corner Comedy Club. It was three hours of madness every week, and it’s the most freedom I’ve ever felt. I was partly responsible for the show shutting down — but we’re making amends now. This room is my take on that kind of controlled chaos. And it was about time Montreal got a heckling room.”
As this is the only heckle room I've been to, I can say unequivocally that it's the best heckle show I've ever seen, 2 out of 2 times. Now it's something I actively look forward to; I muse about who might perform, what might be said, what slurs and insults we’ll come up with. Don't expect to see me on that stage anytime soon though. While I sit in admiration of these ballsy professionals, I'm not nearly brave enough to throw myself into that ring. For now, I'm comfortable in the audience, not yelling the worst things, but yelling the worst I'm willing to. Perhaps I'm slow boiling myself, ramping up to a time when I may also be forged in that beautiful fire. Even if I never do it though, I'll keep going, keep getting my guilty laughs in with no actual guilt attached, and I'll keep leaving lighter, and more free. You should totally join this party.
“Artwork - Shoutout to Erik Intrevado who materialized my vision for this poster in the best way.”
- Saanya Nanda
The next Heckling Show is Sunday, July 27 @ 830 PM. Get your tickets.
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