The Big Bash

The Big Bash is back at Hideout Theatre & Coffeehouse this Friday night, and it's one of the longest-running fixtures in the city's comedy scene. It's the Hideout's flagship Friday night improv showcase, and it's been running for more than thirteen years, so it's less of a one-off and more of a weekly habit for the local improv crowd.

The format is straightforward: professional improv performers take the stage for a showcase of games, scenes, and stories. Because it's improv, the set changes every week—the performers build the night on the fly, and the games and scenes are made up in the moment. The show leans on the Hideout's reputation for a diverse and consistently surprising improv scene, so you're getting a mix of styles and performers rather than one single act.

There's some history behind it, too. Back in 2013, former Arts Editor Robert Fairies interviewed Hideout's Roy Janik about the show, and Janik described it as something you 'have to do' when you come to Austin. It's a good shorthand for how the show fits into the city: it's one of those regular, reliable spots that's been around long enough to become part of the furniture.

If you're planning to go, the Hideout is at 617 Congress, right in downtown Austin. Tickets are $10 and up, and the show runs on Friday nights.