Stand-up comedy show back for 7th edition

Indian comedian-actor Vir Das (above) and British comedienne Shazia Mirza are among six acts who will perform in Singapore.
Indian comedian-actor Vir Das (above) and British comedienne Shazia Mirza are among six acts who will perform in Singapore. PHOTO: THE COMEDY CLUB ASIA
Indian comedian-actor Vir Das and British comedienne Shazia Mirza (above) are among six acts who will perform in Singapore.
Indian comedian-actor Vir Das and British comedienne Shazia Mirza (above) are among six acts who will perform in Singapore. PHOTO: LINDA NYLIND

Prepare to have your funny bone tickled on Sept 30 and Oct 1 with the return of the seventh annual Kings And Queen Of Comedy Asia.

One of Singapore's longestrunning stand-up comedy shows, the two-day laugh fest will feature six stand-up acts from Australia, India, Malaysia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Held by The Comedy Club Asia, the three-hour-long show will take place at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets go on sale from Friday at 10am via Sistic.

Harith Iskander, a regular face on the festival circuit dubbed Malaysia's "godfather of stand-up comedy", returns with fresh material.

He will be joined by fellow countryman Kavin Jay, who is taking part for the first time.

  • BOOK IT / KINGS AND QUEEN OF COMEDY ASIA 7

  • WHERE: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive

    WHEN: Sept 30 and Oct 1, 8.30pm

    ADMISSION: $38 to $108. Tickets go on sale from Friday, 10am. Early-bird discount of $15 on tickets. Go to www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555

    INFO: www.facebook.com/TheComedyClubAsia/

Indian comedian-actor Vir Das will be taking to the stage as well. With his slapstick humour style, he is arguably the biggest funnyman in India.

The first edition of his The Unbelievable Tour last year sold the highest number of tickets for any comedy tour in India. He has revived the tour this month and is travelling across India to perform.

Adding to the diverse line-up of performers are Hawaii-born American comic Paul Ogata and sharp- tongued British comedienne of Pakistani descent, Shazia Mirza.

Expect Mirza, who is taking a break from her world tour of the show The Kardashians Made Me Do It, to touch on terrorism and jihadi brides - politically charged topics she will not shy away from, in relation to her experiences as a Muslim.

Rounding up the pack is Malaysia-based Australian comic Jonathan Atherton. He is also a co-organiser of the festival.

On the lack of home-grown names in this edition, co-organiser Heazry Salim says: "We have always prided ourselves as the biggest proponents of Asian comics and continue to showcase local comics weekly at the Open Mic sessions at Blu Jaz Cafe."

The last two editions of the festivals were sell-outs, attracting 4,000 attendees over two nights. Atherton expects the same reception for this edition.

He says: "Kings And Queen Of Comedy Asia has placed Singapore on the world comedy circuit. It is the country's claim to fame for comedy."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 22, 2016, with the headline Stand-up comedy show back for 7th edition. Subscribe