We caught up with comedian Anirban ahead of his new show Cry Daddy at Soho Theatre, where stand-up collides with football, fatherhood, and the fun of letting the audience take control.
What made you decide to frame stand-up as a football match, complete with scores, yellow cards and half-time pep talks?
My first love is sports and I have always wanted to do a show which is a cross-section of stand up and sports. And i think I have finally cracked it. Comedy is obviously subjective, but what if it was objective like sports. What if there is a winner and a loser in the show. That formed the base of my initial shows, and then as the idea became clearer, newer sporting gags like yellow cards, half time pep talk, and shirt swaps with audience came into the picture. Now it feels like a full blown match where audience is invested in beating me, and I love it.
Cry Daddy draws on both your childhood dreams of sporting stardom and your daughter’s early years — how did those two stories collide into comedy?
Ever since I became a dad, it feels I am reliving my childhood with my daughter. So I decided to make the first half of the show about my childhood and the second half about my daughter’s. That makes it easier for me to know what material goes to which half. And the whole show is fun and games, just like your childhood.
London is famously football-mad — how do you expect Soho audiences will respond to this immersive, game-like format?
London is a true sporting institution, with history in every corner. Apart from football, there’s of course cricket, Wimbledon, it’s Olympic credentials. So i am extremely excited to bring the show to London. The city has a rich sporting culture and am sure the people will enjoy this unconventional match with the comedian.
Parenting runs throughout the show — what has fatherhood taught you about comedy, timing, or even failure?
Fatherhood has taught me that i am not in control. And that’s alright. And this in turn has trickled down to how I see stand up now. Earlier, I would be extremely irritated if a show derailed, or i got heckled. But in Cry Daddy, i am happy to give away that control to make the game with the audience more immersive and fun.
You’ve performed around the world, from Melbourne to Montréal — what feels unique about bringing new work back to Soho Theatre?
London is my favorite city, so firstly I am just excited to be here, and that too in the fall. And Soho Theatre feels like home now, and this show actually has its origins in my previous runs with Soho in London and Edinburgh. Ever since i made this show earlier this year, i have been waiting to come here and play at the Soho Theatre.
You’ve balanced stand-up, screenwriting, and global touring — how does Cry Daddy reflect where you are right now as both a comedian and a person?
I love both stand-up and screenwriting, and use them to escape from the other. Ha ha. But this year, i feel I have unlocked something new in both stand-up and screenwriting, so I am feeling quite good and looking forward to seeing what comes next.
For listing and info, visit https://sohotheatre.com/events/anirban-dasgupta-cry-daddy/