Ready for a riot?
Lawakkeder returns for another run at Istana budaya.
IN 2011, the first season of Lawak Ke Der was uploaded onto YouTube for online viewing. Featuring comedic antics from funnymen like Afdlin Shauki, Harun Salim Bachik, Harith Iskander, Zizan Razak and Johan Raja Lawak, the video was a viral hit with 2.4 million viewers tuning in and laughing away.
Inspired by the popularity and unexpected success of Lawak Ke Der, director and producer Hans Isaac decided to take it stageside at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur last year.
Tickets for the Lawak Ke Der shows at Istana Budaya sold out within weeks and had a recordbreaking attendance of 30,000.
Then snippets from the second show Lawak Ke Der 2 was released as a motion picture in March.
This October, the public can look forward to another instalment of Lawak Ke Der.
Presented by Tall Order Productions, Lawak Ke Der 3 is scheduled for six shows at Istana Budaya from Oct 3-6.
Hosted by Nabil of Raja Lawak fame, this two-hour show will feature fresh new material from the likes of Harith Iskander along with new additions Douglas Lim and comedy duo Jambu.
Speaking at a press conference in Istana Budaya, Hans said the comedians will present new skits and joked: “We might try doing jokes in English.”
Hans admitted that it takes a lot to make him laugh.
“I caught these guys (Jambu) on television and I remember just laughing out loud to myself! Honestly, it’s hard to make me laugh because I’m a very serious guy, but these guys really blew me away,” he said of Jambu.
Nabil Raja Lawak, who will be host and performer, is no stranger to the Lawak Ke Der stage as he previously appeared with Afdlin and Harun in the group Boboi. On his own, Nabil is memorable for his Gangnam Style parody and he’s also the 2008 winner of Astro’s popular Raja Lawak talent show.
“He’s the perfect person to host the show because of his recognisable face and likeable personality. The audience will immediately be charmed by him,” said Hans.
Hans’ long-time friend and veteran comedian, Harith, returns with his brand of Malay comedy, too.
“It’s very hard to get Harith’s funny material on any other performing platform. His Malay comedy is made especially for the Istana Budaya stage,” noted Hans.
As to whether the audience will get to see Lawak Ke Der 3 in cinemas like the previous show, Hans said: “It might happen. I’ve made a promise on my social media account that I won’t make films again. For Lawak Ke Der 3, it’s up to another production company to decide what they are going to do with the content.”
Last month, Hans expressed on Twitter his desire to retire from filmmaking after his latest film Lemak Kampung Santan didn’t meet local box-office expectations.
Well, it seems that the self-confessed serious guy has found his calling in comedy. The popularity of the Lawak Ke Der series has prompted Hans to start planning for more instalments.
“The audience has been extremely supportive. We’ll definitely produce more shows in the future. We want to be the platform for local comedians to have their big break on stage,” said Hans.
Lawak Ke Der 3 will run from Oct 3-6 at Panggung Sari in Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur. Tickets are priced at RM46, RM96, RM126, RM176 and RM196. For more information, call (03) 4147 8600 or visit www.ticket2u.biz. monologues.
“They’ve been told not to use any of the upcoming material for their other shows so you get to see them for the first time at Lawak Ke Der 3,” assured Hans.
With the new line-up, Hans believes the audience will get their money’s worth.
“We’re catering to a paying audience, therefore we have a responsibility to showcase quality comedy material.”
Lim joked at the press conference that the offer to do Lawak Ke Der 3 is timely.
“People always ask me why I am not shooting (any new projects). It’s honestly because I don’t get many offers! Since the price of petrol has gone up, I couldn’t be any more grateful to be a part of this project,” he said.
Lawak Ke Der 3 will be Lim’s first time presenting comedic material in Malay and live.
“I will try my best to find enough Malay words to fill in a 30-minute slot,” he said.
Elsewhere, Jambu features Zamatul Amri and Yussry Edo. On stage, they are Tauke and Yus of Maharaja Lawak Mega fame. Seemingly impressed by Lim’s command of Malay and they