Laughter: A Universal Language

Last night I went to an incredible silent comedy show, Garrick by Tricicle, on Calle Gran Via. The trio had been recommended to me by one of my professors at the University of Granada during my orientation program. When I came across the tickets in Madrid, I couldn't turn down the opportunity!

Garrick opened with a basic lesson in laughing, a rundown of the hundreds of different laughs that are produced on a daily basis. The comedians then offered the audience a tutorial in simple humor. The show consisted of several different skits involving different simple props - toilet seats, lab coats, newspapers, and an audience member's coat. The performance was interactive, and the actors played off of the audience's reaction. Although the skits were unique and separate, there were reoccurring moments of "basic humor" throughout.

One benefit of the predominantly "silent" show was that it required little to no understanding of the Spanish language, so I had no reason to get lost in the dialogue! Also, the jokes were genuinely hilarious, and the three guys didn't rely on cursing or sexist/racist stereotypes to get a hearty chuckle from the audience.