After barely surviving the pandemic and with two pent-up years of killer material, Paul Chowdhry is back to the stage at venues across the country, with multiple gigs in the North, including, Bradford, Manchester, and Newcastle.
His new show, Family Friendly Comedian, which is not suitable for children, follows hot on the heels of Live Innit, Mr Chowdhry’s’s hit Amazon Prime stand-up special and record-breaking live show which he began touring in 2017.
Mr Chowdhry is a seasoned a comic, beginning his career in 1998 with eight tours currently under his belt. His recorded stand-up specials include his breakout What’s Happening with White People (2012) PC’s World (2015) and Live Innit (2019).
South Asian representation in comedy is better now than it has ever been before, with Nish Kumar hosting the Big Asian Stand-up on BBC 2, a TV showcasing fresh comedic talent from the South Asian community. When Mr Chowdhry started, opportunities like this weren’t available, with booking agents hesitant to book Asian comedians due to gatekeeping and prejudice.
For Mr Chowdhry, the pandemic has been tough, losing his mum to the Coronavirus back in March after she was denied a vaccine despite being in a high-risk group and caring for his elderly father as he went radiation therapy. He said: “Comedy was the last thing on people’s mind during the last two years with people focusing on just surviving.
“I put people’s lives before my comedy so unfortunately, it has been a tough year for everyone. It has been tough for me not to perform but surviving during the pandemic has been tougher. Hopefully, we are seeing an end to the virus, and we can come out the end of it.”
Family Friendly Comedian will be Paul’s first show since his massively successful Live Innit tour that included five nights at Hammersmith Apollo and a sold-out show at Wembley Arena, making Mr Chowdhry the first British Asian stand-up to sell out the 10,000-seater venue.
In his new set, Mr Chowdhry talks about the UK’s handling of Covid-19, why the rules of six only worked for white people, England football fans, Tom Cruise’s helicopter and the idea of tv show Naked Attraction in the Middle East.
He said: “I also talk cancel culture and the jokes you can and can’t do now, what is acceptable to speak about in public, which is why the tour is called the Family Friendly Comedian.”
Being in the industry for over two decades, Mr Chowdhury spoke about his lived experience in the ever-changing landscape of comedy. He said: “Comedy and sensibilities within entertainment have changed within what is acceptable broadcasting, journalism, or even film genre. People and things change, and it goes in-and-out of certain trends.
“I think it is very important to move with the times and be accepting of everyone regardless of religion, sex, or creed, breaking down barriers of prejudice along the way.”
With dates set for Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle, Mr Chowdhry mentions that these cities are his favourite leg of the tour. He said: “I’ve been playing up North for the past twenty years, and the northern areas are my favourite.
“I like coming to York, Bradford, Newcastle, Manchester. The crowds are so good, the reactions that I get are very special, so I always like to come.
“These cities have a traditional comedy scene, and it is a different circuit from down South so there are local references that people get up there that audiences don’t in London.”
Earlier this year Mr Chowdhry launched his brand-new podcast produced by Global Entertainment the Paul Chowdhry PudCast, interviewing celebrities on life’s turning points with guests including Russell Howard, London Hughes and Stewart Lee.
Mr Chowdhry’s is also an experienced actor, recently starring alongside Patrick Dempsey in the 10-part Sky Atlantic TV series Devils, soon to return for a second series, and featured in Disney’s Cruella alongside Emma Stone.
For the full list of dates to Family Friendly Comedian, visit here.
