Shappi Khorsandi

[Sepideh_UK]

Review

Shappi Khorsandi is a bright, chirrupy comic who quickly envelops a room with her appealing, slightly ditzy, energy.

That Tiggerishly friendly attitude, combined with her naturally talkative manner creates a fertile environment in which her entertaining collection of brief anecdotes can thrive.

And behind the eager charm, Khorsandi has insightful, interesting material about the tribulations of being a second generation immigrant, of the clashes between cultures and generations that prove such a rich source of comedy. That her family originates * or rather fled - from the Islamic Republic of Iran only widens the gap, and offers even more fascinating outlook.

Yet this is all done with such lightness of touch, that the emphasis is on the laughs, not on any issues. Her comedy is purely about personal experiences * mostly about the teasing and jokes between friends and relatives * which makes it so wonderfully human.

Warm and witty, Khorsandi makes for an endearing act indeed.

December 2005
News

Why we fled Iran Apr 30, 2002


Your comments

Worst prepared standup I've ever seen. Timothy 17.05.06

Saw her first time at Hampstead Comedy Club last night and she was brilliant. Original and witty. Event was benefit so was very mixed audience, and very full house. Drawing on life, and playing herself, Shappi warmed the place up and really had us chortling, also marvelling at deft way she touched some very daring subjects. Keeps up pace too, no gaps, no slow bits, defintely get your money's worth and worth going out of your way for. Charlie Pottins 08.05.06

Very smart material - witty and novel takes on issues that quite often make for poor comedy. Mostly well delivered, too. Tom 07.03.06

Poor. Seems unaware of how to deliver a joke, often trailing often or adding unnecessary disclaimers to her work ("So I shot him! ...I didn't actually shoot him though.") Her delivery is fast paced, with poor articulation and her material mediocre. MikeP 01.02.06

Great act. Very funny. Some great observations and she built well into her themes. Would definitely see her again. Stuart Snowden 22.01.06

Shappi can command a packed room of squaddies (as I've seen her do in Portsmouth) better than a general. Mark Turner 11.01.06

She is OK - but middle of the road and nothing to get excited about. Nothing in her material which sets her apart from any other female comedian. Saw her open her set with gags about dieting and chocolate. No meat on the bones. Quite literally. Ana Conda 28.12.05

Fab... Well worth seeing Suzie 04.12.05

Unfunny to the point of annoying. She was the compere and just did not get the crowd going at all. She destroyed any of her jokes which were good. Unfortunately for her it is about "the way you tell 'em". Her delivery was very poor. Adam 26.11.05

Just wonderful, such a natural entertainer with a huge stack of one liners and stories. Her material is very varied now (unlike a couple of years ago when I first saw her). David 24.11.04

I saw her in Birmingham performing in front of an Asian/back audience and she just seemed uncomfortable. She was part of an all-female Asian stand up night but seemed to be culturally devoid. She talks about Iran and her Iranian roots like someone who has ever only known Hampstead. It could be funny, if she played up the differences but she just isn't. I think it was a bit of a misbooking, she had no idea about the audience and seemed to grin her way uncomfortably throught her act, alienating her still further. Perhaps her act, so obviously grown on the London club circuit, should stay there. Nazreen 1810.04

Great performer, really gets the attention of the audience with just natural sparkle. Her material was a little limited I thought, there's only so much you can relate to when a fair chunk of it revolves around being Iranian when she's the only Iranian in the room. Recovered well from a few fluffs and worth a night out to be entertained by her. Brian McIntyre 20.09.04

As a daughter of the most famous Iranian satirist writer, Shappi's life started in exile, hiding from terrorist group sent to kill her dad. She has grown up living under the shadow of revelation, war, terror, fanatic Islamism, exile, prejudice and so on... Humour is exaggerated tragedy and she has done a phenomenal job to prove that. MirAhmd Fakhraie 04.12.04

Saw her last night at the Bull in Barnet. She found that we weren't laughing a lot, but she should know that most audiences feel very uncomfortable when the artist starts making them participate in the show. I enjoyed the show very much, but spent the whole time worried she might ask me something , which somehow spoilt the pleasure. Catherine 09.11.03

Great in all respects. Her routine was varied, making jokes at other races, women and a large range of other material. Not one unfunny joke, had me laughing all the way through her act. Great. Ben Rowan 27.10.03

Made me laugh from start to finish. A great set. Look forward to seeing her again soon. Simon Jenkins 21.10.03

Shappi is a natural performer. When is she going to get a chanceto do her stuff on TV? Alan Moore 24.07.03

Just saw her on telly here in Holland. She is great. Real funny, daring and talented. Rainer 18.04.02

Absolutely great. I could watch her all night; and it's a really warm set too. Very funny and really talented. Holly Syzlack 19.03.03

[Sepideh_UK]

[Rasputin]

Wonderful job Sepi jan.Thx alot

I am so proud of her .

[Sepideh_UK]

Your welcome.
Manam hamintor. omidvaram movafagh bashe tu karash.

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

I would like to publicly thank the lady in the front row of my audience who gently and humanely removed the beetle crawling across my stage on Monday. I noticed it slowly inching its way towards me halfway through my show. Although I stopped short of climbing on a stool and screaming 'THOMAAAS!', there was a bit of a scene. Seeing as much of my show is about a near terrorist attack on my family, my audience found it hilarious that a small beetle ruffled me so. Thank goodness I'm beige otherwise I would have gone scarlet.

We comics have to deal with the odd fly or moth but they soon get bored and buzz or flutter off. Beetles are different. They fly unexpectedly into your mouth or eyes when you are cycling; although I don't cycle in my show, you can never be too careful.

Other than insect gatecrashers, this year's Edinburgh is heaven. I am staying in a lovely flat in New Town with my boyfriend. It's huge compared with the rabbit hutch we live in in Brixton. It's the most time we have spent together in the same city and we've realised we really do get on, which is handy as we are getting married in September.

Planning a wedding at the same time as doing an Edinburgh show is one of looniest things I have ever undertaken. I don't know what I was thinking back in February when I thought it would be a good idea. I keep calling the wedding invites flyers and when my mother wanted to invite some extra guests I told her "Mum, you can't! It's sold-out!"

So I skipped off to Edinburgh and left all the arrangements to my mother. She phoned me yesterday to ask about menus: "What will you feed the guests?" I said, "I have a show to do! Let them eat cake!"

As long as my beau turns up, my beetle fans stay away and I bury myself deep enough in my festival bubble, it'll all pan out.

[Sepideh_UK]

Eyval. daste dard nakone.

[Rasputin]

Iranian comedienne in show pregnant with meaning

Iranian stand-up comic Shappi Khorsandi has to keep sitting down at the world's largest arts festival.

Nearly eight months gone, she almost certainly ranks as the most heavily pregnant comedienne ever to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Last year she put her heart on her sleeve at the festival, telling the story of her father, satirist Hadi Khorsandi.

He fled Iran after ridiculing Ayatollah Khomeini, and then had to go into hiding with his family in Britain after police discovered a plot to assassinate him.

This year's act is rather different in tone -- the 33-year-old now appoints a woman in the audience every night to be her unofficial midwife, handing her rubber gloves to use if she goes into labour.

"Last year was a show I just had to get out of my system. Now I am just having fun being a comedian," Khorsandi said, scuttling to the theatre exit afterwards to hand out flyers for the show of her husband and fellow comedian Christian Reilly.

Khorsandi, who will be in the 34th week of pregnancy at the end of her month-long Edinburgh run, rose to fame by talking about her heritage, and is now writing a book based on her "Asylum Speaker" comedy routine.

From a family that likes to defuse crisis with comedy, she tells the story in a matter-of-fact voice.

"My father made jokes about the Ayatollah. As a result, his offices were mobbed ... and that's when he fled.

"In 1984, Scotland Yard (London police) uncovered a plot to assassinate my father in London where we now lived. We were told a fat man and a very fat man had been hired to stand outside my parents' house and shoot him as he took me and my brother to school."

But for all her troubled history, Khorsandi worries that Iran is becoming increasingly demonised in the West.

"Any Middle East country is now seen as 'those crazy hotheads'. They do portray that image. If you dehumanise people as much as possible, then other people have the stomach to go to war with them. I don't think that is an accident."

The comedienne feels part of both British and Iranian culture, but said: "I can't go back there, and it really breaks my heart."

Writing her memoir has been cathartic.

"My grandmother, who I've not seen for 16 years, came to visit last month from Iran. I interviewed her for my book. She was married when she was 12 and her mother got married when she was nine. She wants me to tell the story, warts and all."

This time around at Edinburgh, her pregnancy provides a very different view of comedy.

"I can't get stressed. I can't put everything into it like I did last year."

And 2007 has given her a place in Fringe folklore:

"I do believe I am the most heavily pregnant comedian ever to have performed at the Edinburgh Fringe."

[siamak]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginners-Gu.../dp/0091922925

[Rasputin]

Shappi at the Apollo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I5KmlXCLIk