It is odd that Barcelona not only has one of the best English-speaking comedy scenes outside the US and UK, but it also has one of the best Alternative comedy scenes in the world in general. You might read that and go, “What, are you sure? I’ve not heard or seen anything about the Alternative comedy scene in Barcelona. What is going on? Where am I? Why am I talking out loud to this blog post? Do I need to see Dr Monroe again?”
The answer to your first and last question is the same: Yes, I am 100% sure.
What is Alternative Comedy?
So for those who may be unsure, what is Alternative Comedy? In a nutshell, Alternative comedy is a style of comedy that deliberately seeks to step away from conventional joke-telling and stand-up cliches, such as basic observations about sex, dating and crowd work, to more original ideas.
In the UK, the term came about in the late 70s when newer comedians, who hated the sexist, racist, working men’s club comic that had been the norm for some time, decided to create their own scene. Jokes and routines that ranged from surreal anecdotes to clowning, to confronting cultural tensions and taboos about life, sex and politics, liberated audiences and performers to a more creative and honest art form and has now shaped what we consider the norm of comedy in the UK today.
Why You Should Check Out Barcelona’s Scene
Hopefully, that all sounds effing marvellous, and has gotten you excited about the scene here in Barcelona that I expressed my passion for at the start. (If you’re not excited, then I believe they show old seasons of Love Island on Netflix now, so have fun).
Where to See Alternative Comedy in Barcelona
There are loads of performers in this city that I can recommend, and believe me, I will write more about the city’s top performers in later posts so you can get to know them more.
For now, I want to highlight places and shows for you to check out that showcase Alternative Comedy.
Secret Comedy Club
Like here, at Secret Comedy Club! On all our Open Mics, we encourage comedians to try new ideas and take risks. We have variety shows too, like Bullseye!—a comedy game show, like QI or Nevermind The Buzzcocks, but with an even worse budget than those shows.
Not only that, we have Alternative Comedians doing their special hour shows.
Like Todd Barry! He’ll be here at Secret Comedy Club, performing his hour-long show on Saturday, May 24th (you can check him out on Netflix too, which you should).
Other Great Shows in the City
And then around the city, you can find Andy Casper’s Imprfcto Comedy Show, every Thursday at 9 pm at Bar Imprfcto Parallel. A great show, with a great host—check it out.
Then there’s Ewan May and Darren Cullen’s Fat Goose Open Mic, every Tuesday at 7:30 at The Comedy Clubhouse. Now that show is Premier League-level comedy.
Final Thoughts: Who to Watch
There’s too much to write in this word count, but I want to leave you with this:
Ewan May, who I mentioned earlier, is hands down the Mutts Nuts for Alternative comedy in the city. I couldn’t recommend a more true comedian than him. He’s been the best comedian in the city for years. There are other posts about his shows on the blog which you should read if you want to know more. But he’s the best show in town.
He will be performing a special show, NO MOCKING, with Alik, a newer comedian on the scene, who has already made a name for themselves as a class act, on Thursday 17th at 10 pm.
Now if you want grade-A comedy, these two are where to start. I’ve told you about Ewan, but as for Alik, it’s not easy to arrive in a new city and straight away have people know who you are and understand your comedy voice (seriously, it’s not easy), but they’ve done it. Sometimes without actually saying any words and just mumbling (you have to see it to understand).
So, I urge you all to check out the scene more and to come down to Secret Comedy Club on Thursday 17th at 10 pm to check out the best in the city.
Cheers,
Ben 🙂
