If there was ever a time for Raul Kohli to bring us ‘Raul Britannia,’ it’s now. He acknowledges the timing of his show, which covers the very relevant topic of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United Kingdom, with a joke thanking his agent for organizing the race riots. This creates the perfect setting for his show, which is equally full of hilarity and poignant moments.

Throughout ‘Raul Britannia,’ Kohli regales us with moments he dug up from his past that he had previously blocked out because of how traumatic they were. He remembers growing up as an Indian kid near Newcastle, sharing his love for the kind British lady who told him that racism is not British, but tea, football, and chicken tikka masala, among other stolen British joys, are. 

Using his trademark club comedy demeanor, Kohli surprises his audience with vulnerability along the way. People who have seen him before may be much more accustomed to a joke show of crowd work, mocking cities, occupations, and other bits of classic stand-up fodder. But in ‘Raul Britannia,’ Kohli dives deeper into his childhood, during which the only thing he wanted was to be perceived as fully British, in spite of his Indian heritage.

The timing of the show couldn’t be more apt, and couldn’t have been predicted. This was simply when Kohli wanted to tell this particular story, which is, in many ways, a love letter to Britain. ‘Raul Britannia’ had everything that makes a classic Fringe show: a poignant throughline, well-crafted jokes, a winning persona and a heartfelt epiphany that could have only been achieved by writing and performing the show multiple times. Kohli is a master storyteller whose show succeeds in telling not only his story, but also that of any misfit kid growing up in Britain. At a time where race and immigration are extremely prevalent in the UK, Kohli’s show truly hits at how Britain got to where it is today and what we should all hope for its future.

‘Raul Britannia‘ is at Just the Tonic at Cabaret Voltaire – Just the Liberty Room until Sun 25 Aug 2024 at 18:30