IF PAUL CHOWDHRY is to be believed, he’s put his career as a controversial stand-up comic behind him in the hopes of landing that lucrative daytime TV deal.
Thankfully, he then spends an hour delivering the sort of material that might make even Jerry Sadowitz or Frankie Boyle think twice, making his arrival on the This Morning sofa seem highly unlikely.
Put it this way, his first target was the man who until very recently sat on that very sofa and, despite many comics treading on eggshells at the mo, Paul seemed unconcerned that his Philip Schofield routine would have most fearing being cancelled rather than contracted!
I say an hour, this was one of those shows that just takes off, to the extent that the extravagantly-moustachioed Paul announced, “I’m having more fun than my audience – we’re going into overtime!”
To be honest, I’m not sure I could have coped with much more than the almost hour-and-a-half of comedy that was less near-the-knuckle, more way up past the elbow.
Every stand-up show is unique. A lot depends on the make-up of the audience and this night hit the sweet spot for Paul thanks largely to the three Pakistani ladies front and centre of the front row who became the focus of much of the evening’s hilarity.
His audience trusts him and just goes along with him, even the poor fella cast as “the Kevin Spacey type” for the evening…
You could see how much Paul was enjoying the occasional anxiety in the room when he tackled such issues such as racism and colonialism, only to detonate the fear with another outrageous punchline.
But as he said, “I want to assure you that if you do feel uncomfortable at any point, you should!”
He does get very serious at one stage, though I don’t want to diminish any of the impact by revealing what he talks about, but that just makes you realise that he’s been making serious points in between the “Did he just say that out loud?!” moments.
Anyway, Paul might not be getting that baking show on the Beeb any time soon but he’s having to add extra shows as the sold-out signs go up – get your tickets soon.
Paul Chowdhry: Family-Friendly Comedian
Pleasance Courtyard Cabaret Bar
21:40
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/paul-chowdhry-family-friendly-comedian
