After performing in a limited line-up last year at the Edinburgh Fringe, Indian comic Urooj Ashfaq is back with her solo debut hour. Her appearances in Indian comedy competition shows such as Amazon’s Comicstaan or Netflix’s Comedy Premium League may convince you she’s funny, but you won’t realise the full extent of her prowess on stage until you see her live.
‘Oh No!’ is about Ashfaq’s parents’ divorce and the resulting therapy she needs, as she will tell you from the get-go. But the show is so much more than that – it’s about her family’s relationship with Islam, her childhood romances, and using us as guinea pigs for one-liners she wants to test out. Ashfaq is happy to be at Fringe, with a room full of willing listeners of her tales of woe – so much so that she told the organisers she would be OK with people entering as late as 40 minutes. But you’d be doing yourself a disservice to miss this cracking routine.
Blending together an animated and loveable stage presence, physical gags, a goofy self-deprecating humour and a *chef’s kiss* skill of interacting with the audience, the show is packed with back-to-back laughs. Where else will you witness a comic deal with such craft to the response of, ‘My mother’s dead’ when she tries catching up latecomers to her parents’ divorce and asks if their parents are divorced too? Her ability to remain the audience’s darling while zinging us with surprising quips is a rare treat. Ashfaq also does a commendable job of writing for a diverse group. Only a couple points need any cultural translation, and the exposition never hampers the routine. Whether you’ve grown up in India or elsewhere, the distinct image of her mimicking a common Indian house lizard partaking in your life will stay with you days after the show ends. Urooj Ashfaq is a must-see at Fringe.
‘Oh No!’ runs until Sun 27 Au 2023 at Assembly George Square Gardens – The Crate at 20:50.