Doha’s Abdul Aziz Nasser Theatre at Souq Waqif is used to concerts and scripted performances. On 26 September 2022, it hosted something looser – and riskier: a fully improvised Lebanese comedy show where the audience was invited to control the chaos.
“3a-Ka3ba by Quickies – Lebanese Comedy Show” arrived in Qatar promising exactly that. As listings on ILoveQatar and event coverage from Qatar Day explained, the concept is simple: the comedians walk on stage with no fixed script and build scenes live from audience suggestions, games and spontaneous challenges.
The show is part of the wider “Quickies” project, where Lebanese comics have been experimenting with short-form improv since around 2015. Names associated with the format include Anthony Hamawi, Jad Bou Karam, Shant Kabakian and Tony Dagher – performers who also move between stand-up, TV work and online sketches. In Doha, they brought that quick-fire style to a Gulf audience already familiar with their clips on social media.
The format relies heavily on crowd participation. Audience members shout locations, relationships or random words; in response, the troupe snaps into characters, builds scenes on the spot and tries to top each other’s punchlines. No two shows can be identical, which is part of the appeal – and the risk.
For the Qatari capital, the event added Lebanese improv to a growing roster of Arab-language comedy nights. For the Lebanese scene, it offered a chance to test material on a different crowd, and to show that Beirut’s young comics can tour just as easily as musicians and pop stars.
With an 18+ age restriction and a single evening slot, “3a-Ka3ba by Quickies” functioned as both a one-off treat and a proof of concept: there is regional demand for smart, fast improvised humour in Arabic, especially when it carries the particular rhythm and accent of Beirut.
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