That’s a big blanket fort!

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Nothing like snuggling under a warm blanket in your jammies when the weather turns cold… with a couple dozen friends.

The first Tuesday of every month, the Astoria Hotel in Vancouver hosts BlanketFort StoryTime with room for about 30 flannel or fuzzy onesie-clad comedy fans to huddle together and enjoy a very intimate and cozy show.

“It’s all about making it comfy and interesting for people to work together and then share stories in a safe space,” says organizer Emma Cooper, who has done stand-up comedy in the city for eight years.

“Sometimes people don’t trust comedians — they think we are going to pick on you or we are out to get you — so when advertising this comedy show, I really wanted to make it clear that we are about telling jokes and stories but we are about sharing, not being combative. I think the idea of a blanket fort pretty much gets that across,” Cooper laughs.

For every show, Cooper sets up ropes and ladders and provides piles of blankets, fabric, clothespins, and Christmas lights.

“People show up at 8 p.m. and then help build it. We make a giant blanket fort that will fit about 30 people. You never know how it will go, but if you call everyone a ‘blanket fort architect,’ somehow it gets built every time. Then we have stories in it.”

Cooper calls it a weird and unique experience.

“What I like is seeing comedians having a different approach when they get into the fort. Comedians I normally see doing one-liners getting in and telling a personal story is kind of exciting for me. When you’ve been doing comedy for long enough, you’re just interested in seeing something different. It’s neat to see performers expanding. It’s neat to see new people telling stories. And it’s neat to see the audience getting comfortable and participating,” says Cooper.

“And our audience is great. A lot of them show up wearing pajamas and fleecy onesies and all sorts of stuff so it’s hilarious.”

If you are interested, watch for Cooper’s next blanket fort event on Facebook.

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