The scintillating sins of a ‘haram Muslim’, revealed by a riotous Indian comedian
Growing up in a South Asian, Muslim household has its ups and downs. There is immense pressure, especially on the girls, to be the perfect, devout daughter of both the family and God. In the Soho Theatre at 7:15pm, New Delhi-born comedian Saaniya Abbas stepped onto the stage and removed that weight from her shoulders, delivering a stand-up routine that liberated her audience too.
Abbas, despite her little-girl face and kitten-ears headband, is 36. As such has traversed a variety of life experiences – divorce, rocky career beginnings, travelling to different parts of the world, and confusion over religious teachings. One such strange teaching is that when men go to heaven, they are rewarded with 72 virgins. Abbas adds to this absurdity with another ridiculous idea; what will the women receive? How on earth would they cope with 72 nerdy, inexperienced men? Her astute social commentary resonates with all audience members without ever veering off into Islamophobia. Her routine teaches us that it is possible to be respectful and have a raucous laugh at the same time!
Abbas also connects well with the front-row audience members, frequently calling upon them to set up certain jokes, e.g. about South Asian households, immigration, etc.. She is sweet and conversational, evident in how easily these audience members leaned into her aura and opened up about themselves. This enhanced the quality of her already brilliant performance; it is clear that her personal energy, as well as her professional expertise, is strengthened by her interactions with people.
Hellarious covers many aspects of both religion, being South Asian, and adulthood, providing answers to questions (and insightful questions to vague answers!) that we all have held onto our whole lives. Though Abbas claims her routine is about failure, she is the epitome of success – there is power in her ability to articulate the experiences of this many people. She is funny, kind, and intelligent, and Hellarious is a must-watch show!