The fourth annual Fun and Dumb Improv Festival, hosted by the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, transformed three stages into an absurd, electric, and completely packed celebration of everything that makes New York comedy one for the books.

Over the course of four days, more than 750 performers delivered 250+ shows that felt less like programming and more like organized chaos, in the best way. You might’ve caught Baby Wants Candy belting out improvised musical numbers with Broadway-level care, or stumbled into Demon Time and realized you were suddenly watching a bit about haunted Pilates. This was a festival where The Daily Show writers shared a lineup with performers named Sandwich Purse and Frat Boyz, and somehow it all worked.

That’s the magic of BCC’s vibe, it’s smart without being smug, weird without trying too hard. The comedy here doesn’t wait for you to get it, it just barrels ahead, hoping you’ll keep up.

Some standout moments?

• Sandwich Purse, made up of writers from The Late Show, delivered sharp, offbeat sketches that walked the line between brilliant and completely unhinged.
  
  
• Padma Lakshmi headlined Bagels w/ Lakshmi, bringing sharp comedic timing and strong brunch opinions to a packed house, complete with a bagel hand-delivered onstage by the Artistic Director.
  
  
• Chloe Troast kicked things off with her live “therapy” session that turned into group catharsis and light roast.
  
  
• Yes and I’m About to Jazz brought full-on jazz chaos that felt like watching a fever dream inside a smoky basement bar.
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• Connor Ratliff and Griffin Newman gave a masterclass in absurd realism with The Acting Class, where earnestness met unhinged monologues.

• Asian AF and Ladies Who Ranch packed Deep Space with back-to-back energy that left everyone buzzing.
  
  

And then there were the Frat Boyz, who took fun and dumb to new heights in the way they always do, surprising everyone with “what could they possibly come up with next?” energy. This time, members Britt Lower and Zach Cherry couldn’t be there in person, but Zach appeared via video to ask the audience to share a time they were emotionally brave. Britt showed up in spirit—literally—as a crocheted doll made by a fan. To round things out, longtime friend and honorary member Claire Neuwmann, who went to Northwestern with the group and was visiting from California, stood in for the chaos. You kind of had to be there.

In between the heavy hitters were some of the most delightfully unpolished acts you’ve never heard of (but definitely will). Chicken Big, DUCHOVNY, OLESTRA, and The Good Time felt like hidden gems, the kind of sets that people will name-drop in five years when they say, “I saw them before they were big.”

Workshops ran alongside the madness, led by legends like Chris Gethard and improv veterans from Chicago, giving performers and fans a chance to learn, play, and spiral into creative mayhem together.

If you missed it, don’t beat yourself up, just promise yourself you won’t next year. And while the festival might be over, BCC is still very much alive. Catch a weekly show at Eris or Pig Pen, and you might just find yourself in the middle of something wild, hilarious, and maybe even a little profound.

They continue to offer classes in improv, stand-up, sketch, clowning, and more. Grab tickets, sign up, or just see what’s next at www.brooklyncomedy.com.

It’s everything comedy should be, and then some.

Photos by Mindy Tucker, Arin Sang-urai and Hélèna Lucot