Latvia’s best stand-up comedians will roast those Latvian politicians, who have been brave – or foolhardy - enough to accept the invitation to laugh at themselves, and let the comedians laugh at (or with) them. On Saturday, July 4th, during the first conversation festival LAMPA in the Cēsis castle park, Ingmars Līdaka, Lolita Čigāne, Roberts Zīle and former presidential candidate Sergejs Dolgopolovs will be roasted by comedians Edgars Bāliņš, Rūdolfs Kugrēns, Anete Konste, and Elīna Kolāte. The event will be moderated by TV and radio personality Gustavs Terzēns.
The ‘’roast’’ is a local adaptation of the comedy roast genre, which originated in the USA. Comedians make fun of high level politicians, even President Barack Obama, entertainment personalities and other popular personalities. Comedians note that receiving an invitation to a roast is a great honour. The conversation festival ‘’LAMPA’’ will offer the Latvian public their first experience with a political roast.
The audience will be able to see how politicians each deal with their own elephant in the room, how they react to questions usually posed in whispers, in anonymous internet comments, around the kitchen table. Comedians will take the microphone to roast the politicians one by one in a sizzling monologue, taking the audience through the peaks and valleys, the rise and fall of the politician’s career. The politicians will each get the chance to reply, with a light-hearted reflection on their own foibles.
The bravest of the politicians, accepting the invitation to the roast, and representing four of the largest parliamentary factions, are Ingmārs Līdaka, Lolita Čigāne, Roberts Zīle and former presidential candidate Sergejs Dolgopolovs. Together with ‘’Comedy Latvia”’ comedians Edgars Bāliņš and Rūdolfs Kugrēns, and bloggers (blog ‘’Texxti””) Anete Konste and Elīna Kolāte, they will make comedy history, introducing a new comedic genre in Latvia.
Witty not rude, sophisticated not pithy, respectful not reverential – this is the tone the comedians will set on July 4th at 18:30 in the Cēsis castle park. Offense should not be taken!
The roast is one of 60 different events, offering festival goers the opportunity to listen to, converse and discuss with fascinating personalities. The conversation festival ‘’LAMPA’’ will take place in the Cēsis castle park 3-4 July.
The initiators of the conversation festival ‘’LAMPA” are the Foundation for Open Society DOTS and Swedbank. The event is organized byFoundation DOTS, the advertising agency ‘’Armadillo’’, the communication management agency ‘’Deep White”” and the events agency ‘’Chocolate Events”.
Admission is free.