Comedy is a tough art form. People often end up sounding dull or overly harsh when attempting to crack jokes. So, being able to make lots of people laugh is quite the challenge. What’s even more difficult is when you can make a room full of people laugh and cry at the same time, thanks to your uplifting and witty monologue. These two words may not seem to fit well together, and we mostly agree. Yet, attending one of ALOK’s shows will help you see that these are indeed the perfect words to characterise their presence on stage.

ALOK concluded their ongoing tour with a show in Kathmandu last Friday. Hosted by Parakram Rana, their set was preceded by a 30-minute opening act from Queer Honky-Tonk. One after the other, performers from the collective—BackRoll Diamond, Anti-Fragile, Momolicca and Phoenix Raj—took the stage for their performance.

BackRoll Diamond showed up in a beautiful ruffled green dress and sashayed to Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’. After her, Anti-Fragile delivered an energetic dance to ‘Alien Superstar’ by Beyonce and ‘Unholy’ by Sam Smith, discarding her black wig during the transition between the two tracks. Momolicca showcased the only Nepali performance of the event, presenting a dramatic routine to ‘Chitthi Aayena’ from the movie ‘Truck Driver’, complete with a postman and a storyline. Lastly, Phoenix Raj closed out the opening act with a spirited dance to Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.

Next, ALOK took the stage wearing a stunning maroon ruffled gown and tube top set designed by Sangram. Presenting a piece titled ‘Biology’, they effortlessly transitioned between sarcastic stand-up comedy and heartfelt poetry throughout the one-hour performance. At one moment, you might find yourself laughing louder than ever at their clever monologue about being allies for the straight community, and the next, you're moved to tears by a poignant poem about their grandfather.

Their voice carries both tenderness and vulnerability when narrating the poems, yet there’s a charismatic snark in the delivery of their one-liners. This dual nature defines ALOK’s performance. In an article from August 2022, UK’s Voice magazine aptly describes ALOK’s show as “chiaroscuro”, an Italian term signifying light-dark—a fitting way to capture the essence of their performance.

And with all of their charisma and stage presence, perfected over a decade of performing, ALOK could easily have made the show about themselves. After all, everyone in the hall—and probably in all their shows—was there just to see them. But no, ALOK makes the show more about supporting queer folks who look upto them and “humanising the community that has so thoroughly been dehumanised.”

As soon as they are on stage, ALOK praises the performers from Queer Hony-Tonk and asks the audience to give them a standing ovation. During their ending speech, they encourage all queer individuals to celebrate their lives, believe in their magic and create a heaven on earth for themselves and each other.

Co-presented by Quixote’s Cove and Spoken Fest, Friday’s event marked ALOK’s second performance in Nepal. Their first one being a show they did in 2017 at Nepal Tourism Board, along with a gender-bender makeup party with members of the Blue Diamond Society at the Quixote’s Cove office. Prior to the performance, attendees could browse through bazaar with stalls from ventures run by queer individuals, selling everything from postcards to earrings and phone charms, at the venue, Park Village Resort.

“During their tour this time, ALOK made a special request to put aside time to perform in Nepal. So we really didn’t do much in terms of getting them to come,” says Suvani Singh, director of Quixote’s Cove, regarding organising the event. “We just wanted to put together a good show for the queer community and those who admire Alok in Kathmandu.”