Akbar is winner of Piccadilly Club comedian of the year, and is an exceptionally talented newcomer to the British comedy circuit. At a time when, in his own words, ‘Islam is a significant part of the zeitgeist, both positively and negatively’, he is using his debut show - Not for Prophet – opening at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe- to draw from his personal journey from being a devout Muslim to an alcohol-drinking, bacon-eating non-Muslim as a much-needed social bridge. ‘I do believe humour, and the nuances of my particular story can break down communal barriers’, he told us. ‘People feel encouraged to relax and build connections amongst each other. I do explore the many contradictions that constitute my current worldview. Identity is fluid and multi-faceted so whether you are white, brown or neither there are no ‘right answers’ or a specific set of rules of how you should be. We are all a product of a unique mixture of social context and upbringing.’
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Indeed as much his material is informed by his cultural background - being the ‘ultimate colonial baby with grandparents from each part of the subcontinent after partition’ and parents with both strong anti-colonialist and Thatcherite sentiments respectively - Akbar also uses his life experience and the ‘elitist banking culture’ he has observed to be a trend in the metropolis: ‘there were people with a lot of imperial ties and connections going back to the time of the British Empire, in my workplace, and while being predominantly hilarious, it was also kinda racist...’ As well as being highly accessible and thought-provoking, Akbar’s style has been described as very ‘slick’ by the Evening Standard, and the young comedian has also qualified as a finalist in the high-profile, nationally known, comedy competition, So You Think You’re Funny? Other accolades include warming up for Micky Flanagan when he was on tour and performing in his mother’s home country of Bangladesh, doing half the set in English and the latter half in Bengali. Upon being asked whether this innately energetic and anecdotal Indian language has helped him with comic delivery, Akbar answered: ‘definitely! Whether it’s conscious or subconscious, exposure to several languages, including Urdu and Hindi, gives me an advantage with experimenting tonally and with different sorts of jokes.’ His surname incidentally sounding like ‘once’ or ‘one time’ in Bengali, Akbar simultaneously demonstrates his mantra for comedic success, and quite frankly being a worthwhile human being: ‘stay true to yourself, knowing that this is the greatest gift you can give the world. All the while be confident and search to be wholly comfortable within yourself.’ Thus Not for Prophet says as much about the comedian as the impressive show itself.
You’ve just stepped off the train into Edinburgh. How are you feeling about your first big performance?
Both excited and nervous, but mostly very, very excited!
What grabs you most about comedy?
How much license I have to explore ideas; how by getting people to laugh you can also get them to question various concepts.
Tell us a bit about your current show?It explores the ways in which my life has been pulled in polar opposites, and how that all converged at this house party a couple of years ago. As well as having a very culturally and ideologically varied upbringing, I was also a poor kid in private school. I also make the audience sing a hymn at one point. That’s fun in-between all the stories and the jokes.
When did you decide to become a comedian?I was quite a funny guy at school but never thought about becoming a professional. I was actually looking into becoming a broadcast journalist when the guy who produced my show reel pointed out that I was a funny guy, and I’ve been testing out my material more recently. Last year I was finally able to quit my full time job and pursue comedy full time.
Who have been some of your favourite comedic inspirations?
Lee Evans, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, and to throw in a delightfully darker one, Frankie Boyle.
What’s your comedy writing process?
I carry a notebook with me and attend different new material nights. I also test out my newer funny ideas on various audiences.
Are there particular tricks you like experimenting with?
My shows are a combination of a few: the pull back and reveal, which subverts audience expectations, one-liners etc. My set is a mix and reflective of all the comedy I grew up with. I suppose I relish subverting audience expectation: taking them one way and then throwing them in a completely different direction.
Do you have a favourite part to your show?
As well as the hymn, I do a little dance with the audience at the end of the show which is a lot of fun. I enjoy telling people my mum’s approach to discipline too.
Finally, do you have any advice for other young comedians in terms of loosening up before a show?
I don’t usually need to myself, but deep breaths are always helpful, and at times there’s this one Sufi song that I’ve played beforehand which calms me.
