PLEASE DON’T LAUGH

‘Analysing humour is like dissecting a frog. No one is interested and the frog dies from it.’ (E.B. White)

The world is in chaos, the flashpoints are uncountable. Yet there was never more stand-up comedy to be seen than today. Why is that? Does humour distract us, or does it keep us on our toes? Why is Trump laughable but never funny? And when a clown really slips, is it still okay to laugh? In Please Don't Laugh, three stand-up comedians try to find their place in a world that is increasingly difficult to understand, let alone tolerate. As they keep searching for levity, they bump into the painful limits of what humour is capable of. And the question: is silence sometimes stronger than laughter?

For years, Tristero has been making performances with a comedic undertone. Today they ask the question: what should we do with humour? Against their better judgement, the Brussels company takes up the gauntlet - or rather the microphone. In all seriousness, they share their findings, equipped with little more than an empty stage, a microphone and a spotlight. A performance about humour, art, powerlessness and bananas.

"You can recognize Tristero by their blank faces." - Wouter Hillaert

• Tristero is a real Brussels theatre company. The artistic core consists of Cédric Coomans, Youri Dirkx, and Peter Vandenbempt. They regularly collaborate with Kaaitheater in Brussels. For example, De verbouwing (2014), Fluisterbehang/Visite Guidée, and Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker (2024). Humor