There are comics who make you laugh, but then there are those who make you cry, and laugh through the tears. Ahir Shah’s ability to pull off the latter is one of many reasons why he belongs behind a mic. In debt to his grandfather, who immigrated from India to give his wife, kids and grandkids a chance at a better life. He brings to light the intricately inter-related layers of imperial politics and the trickle down effect it had on everyday Indians.
Ahir Shah’s idiosyncrasies and mannerisms distinguish him as a comic. He’s rapidly well-spoken. You get the sense he’s onto the next thought before he finishes the last, yet you never fall off the wagon he’s pulling you on, never sacrificing the clarity in his delivery. He takes on the topics of imperial atrocities with biting observation and dark humour that only emphasises the impact of astonishing fact. With his matter of fact words and frank proclamations, he holds the British accountable for the past they shamelessly try to hide.
So when it comes to his story, he spends no time sugar-coating the terrors of racism his grandparents and parents face. He makes an extremely poignant point that they faced the worst of the UK’s xenophobia so he could stand on this very stage and have the opportunity to do what he loves. The content is no-joke, but that doesn’t mean the jokes aren’t aplenty. Shah’s intellectual comedy accompanies his content seamlessly, weaving in, out and through hard hitting anecdote and stone cold hilarity.
Shah is a force to be reckoned with in the way he commands the audience. Immensely eye-opening and deeply profound, Shah’s show is that perfect balance between important and relentlessly funny.
Ahir Shah: Ends
13:25 @ Monkey Barrel Comedy – Monkey Barrel 3
Aug 23-27
