Why ‘Wild and Witty’ is a great idea for pubs

From left to right: Wild and Witty hosts, Siima Kyakuhaire Sabiti Benard Ewalu Olupot, alias Beewol together with and Rachael Alobo- the brain behind the idea. PHOTO/JULIUS BUGEMBE
What you need to know:
- Wild and Witty Show is a novel improvised comedy show with no comedians. Just groups of tipsy people being witty.
- The host, usually a radio presenter asks wild questions and groups come up with even wilder answers.
- Their team captain hits the stage amid cheers from his group and cracks up the entire party
The pub is one of the most popular among a long list of urban hangout places. Amenities such as gyms, theatres, churches, restaurants and office canteens are all great hangout places, but the pub beats them all in numbers somehow.
It might be the great music or the alcohol or the Premier League, but most people leave all these things at home and hit the bar. Clearly, they are looking for something deeper than a just drink or music, and our wild guess is they are looking for conversations.
There is quite nothing like conversations at the pub. And we humans value conversation more than we like to admit. A pub is one of the few places, where people lose all inhibition.
It is free speech at its finest. Speech devoid of prejudice and bigotry. And that is a bigger reason to go to the pub than alcohol for many people.
Because once speech is free, like it is at the pub, human connection happens naturally. Making friends becomes easier. Burdens are easily lifted off our chests (at least for some hours) and life becomes worth living again.
On top of that, alcohol tends to bring out the wild and witty side of people that would otherwise be shy and coy. At the pub, people are funnier, friendlier and happier. One is likely to laugh a lot more at the pub than anywhere else.
This explains why the Wild and Witty Show idea was born in the mind of a young creative. Rachel Alobo, a professional marketer, came up with an idea to make pub patrons as talkative and funny as possible. The Wild and Witty Show, once threshed out, could be sold to pubs as a crowd puller.
When the idea was first born some three years ago, its initial name was Dumb Questions for Cool People.
Dumb Questions For Cool People was started as a concept inspired by a friend-turned-business partner at the time who envisioned a quiz show format infused with comedy.
Initially, we worked with comedians as team captains.
However, as we performed in different locations in Kampala, we received feedback that Ugandans, being naturally funny, would benefit from a space to explore their comic side.
This informed the current format, where the audience elect their team representatives to showcase wit, satire, and humor,” Alobo says.
The current format, the Wild and Witty Show, is a novel improv (improvised) comedy show with no comedians. Just groups of tipsy people being witty. The first pub to buy into this idea was Shisa Nyama Village in Bugolobi. It hosted the first installation in December and the second last week.
The idea rides on the fact that Ugandans are naturally funny. It also rides on humans who tend to hit the bar in groups or form groups once there. And for some reason, there is always that naturally funny person in every group of friends.
The host, usually a radio professional like Siima, asks wild questions and the groups come up with even wilder answers. The groups proceed to come up with wild and witty answers.
Their craziest member, also called team captain, hits the stage amid cheers from his group and cracks up the entire party. Or bombs.
There will be cheering and jeering in equal measure because of the spirit of competition that rises out of nowhere. It is the job of the tipsy person on stage to drown out the jeers, throw punchlines at the naysayers and crack up everyone. See, very nice idea for a night out.
This, at least on paper, is a great idea on so many different levels. We all know that humans hate and fear public speaking more than anything. But it is also the case that people tend to lose that fear once they are drunk.
Potentially, people who would otherwise collapse in a heap at the idea of public speaking could reign their fears in and develop confidence in the most unlikely place.
This is why the Wild and Witty Show could have a future in Kampala’s night life culture. Because it combines the best aspects of hanging out and into one and serves it hot.
I attended the January Wild and Witty party with my gang (hey Matogo). I am not ashamed to admit that we came in last though we were initially sure that we would win.
But that did not stop us from laughing like we were at a bona fide comedy show. Because of the nature of the questions and challenges, one feels like one is in a quiz night on steroids.
Because here, the wilder the answer, the better. Anything goes. A chameleon suddenly becomes an undercover dinosaur.
At the end of the night, one has made new acquaintances, conversed and laughed. Exactly what one hopes for when one goes out on a Friday night.