Aarian Mehrabani is a multi award winning writer, comedian and actor from the North West of England. In 2020 he graduated from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and in 2021 he co-founded the multi award winning theatre company FlawBored. Their debut show, IT’S A MOTHERF**KING PLEASURE, premiered at Vault, won the Untapped Award and completed a sold out Edinburgh Fringe run to huge critical acclaim, before enjoying a three-week run off-Broadway. August sees him bringing his debut stand-up hour ‘How’s Your Head?’ to the Fringe. We spoke to Aarian about the show, his work with his theatre collective, and his hopes for the show. 

Can you tell us about ‘How’s Your Head?’

‘How’s Your Head?’ is my debut stand up hour. I am, what I like to call a Triple Threat. I’m blind, I am brown, and I am bisexual. Which is arguably too many things to talk about in a debut stand up hour. But then in 2024 I was hit with a rather aggressive and life-threatening brain cancer. Which was the universe telling me with about as much subtlety as a dog scratching at your leg with a tennis ball in their mouth, that I needed to make an Edinburgh show

For those who might be unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your comedy and your approach to performance?

One of my favourite things to do is slaughter the sacred cows of what people feel can be joked about. Because of my many marginalised identities, I have the ‘cover’ to bring my irreverent humour to areas and topics that people may find too uncomfortable to talk about. But in a word… it’s pretty queer.

The show is centred on your treatment for a brain tumour. How did you go about finding the humour in such a situation?

Honestly, it was pretty easy. My whole life has consisted of jokes and laughter. Finding light in the dark corners, because to leave them dark is something I am simply not willing to entertain. Things kept happening during 2024, in hospitals and going through treatment that I was constantly thinking, ‘there’s a bit in that’. And the poor nurses that were looking after me were subjected to my endless bits as I monologued at length like I was Michael McIntyre, absolutely nailing a piece of observational comedy. Delivering hot takes and quips about life in hospital as a Cancer patient.

So I knew early on in my cancer journey that I was gonna have to write a stand-up show.

You’re a co-founder of the FlawBored theatre collective, and ‘How’s Your Head? Is the first solo show from one of their members. How did your experience with FlawBored help with your solo writing and performance?

Oh my god, I’d be nothing without those guys! I trained as an actor and never for a moment thought of myself as a writer, let alone someone who could write comedy. We wrote our first show, ‘It’s A MotherF**king Pleasure’ as a group. Me, Sam, Chloe and Josh. And we went through months of writing both together and as individuals, and the whole time I was learning so much and really developing my craft. Working with Josh Roche was an especially unbelievable experience given how established and experienced he already was both as a director and dramaturge. He knew exactly what I needed to hear to constantly level up as a writer and performer.

And whilst we clash creatively on so many things (Normally me writing a stupid joke and Sam and Chloe shouting ‘VETO’ in unison), It’s always about making the work as strong as possible, and we’ve made each other so much stronger. I love getting into a half an hour debate on which is funnier, ‘Hadn’t’ or ‘Had not’. And we’re still doing so much together. We’ve been writing our second show, ‘What’s The F**king Point?’ over the past three years. And following a rehearsed reading at the Royal Court in April (which sold out in under 24 hours), we’ll be opening the show at Bristol Old Vic inOctober.

So I have 1 week off after Edinburgh before we go into rehearsals for that. Oh, and myself, Sam and Chloe are working with The Story Collective, writing a new project for TV. Funded by BBC and Netflix…

What are your hopes for ‘How’s Your Head?’? What would constitute a successful Fringe for you?

Right, so I have a lot of aims for the show. But really, I would be the happiest little blind cancer boy in the world, if every day I got to perform the show to a full room of people. I will sincerely be so grateful for every single person who chooses to spend an hour with me. And that on its own will be massive. Because I will have taken the risk. Win, lose, or draw, I’ll have taken my own show up to Edinburgh.

But really, I’m seeing this Fringe as a launchpad for my career. I’d love to be able to tour this show, both around the UK and internationally. But also have so many other ideas and shows in me that I’m champing at the bit to make. I already have a really stupid idea for something I want to do in my second show. And it may well not survive the first work in progress. But it’s a little pricey. And I’d love to be in a position where somebody has enough faith in me, and gives me enough money to try my stupid idea…

What for you are the best and worst things about the Fringe?

It’s just the best place ever. You get to see so many amazing shows. Both from people you already know, and people you’ve never heard of until August. And there are so many artists, in the same place, going through the same thing for a whole month. So being able to go into Bristo Square for a drink and a natter with incredibly talented friends, is such a unique thing.

The worst thing is the cost. It’s just not accessible for so many immensely talented artists who would absolutely smash the fringe, if it weren’t for the prohibitive cost.

 Besides ‘How’s Your Head?’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August; guest spots, compilation shows, etc?

Absolutely! Definitely give me a follow on Instagram (@aarian.m) to see what compilation I’ll be on.

I also have my own mixed bill night alled ‘The Blind Guy’s Hosting A Comedy Night?’ Our first two shows are at Lowry on June 4th and July 8th , and we may well be bringing the show up for a one-night show at the Fringe. So keep your eyes peeled.

Are there any other shows/ performers at the Fringe that you would recommend?

My favourite part of the fringe is discovering a new act or show that I had never come across until August. But I do also have a bunch of very talented friends who will either be bringing their own shows up, or performing in shows.

Some highlights are:

My hilarious friend Rob is in two shows by ‘Maybe you like it’, Whatever Happened To That Guy, and Down to Chance.

Rosie Wood, who I think is one of the funniest acts on the circuit, is taking a double bill up called Wood and Crook: ‘Wooden Crook’.

And my fabulously talented friend Elliott Wooster will be performing in the new family musical Apparently Ugly.

We can see you on TV later in the year in David Baddiel’s Hunting Alice Bell. Can you tell us about that?

Yeah, I’m so excited for that show to come out. Partly cos it’s my TV debut and it’s a bit of ‘proper serious’ acting. But also, because I can’t wait to watch it. The script is so good. When they sent me the six episodes I thought I’d read them over a few days, but before I knew it, it was two in the morning and I’d read the whole series with no breaks. It’s just that gripping.

We filmed it in Dublin last August, and I had the best time. The whole team were so lovely, and David was on set every day. He’s the loveliest man, and I was so struck with how much he genuinely cared about this world, and these characters that he’d created.

‘How’s Your Head?‘ is at Bluebell at Underbelly, George Square from Wed 5 to Mon 31 Aug 2026