International Emmy Award winner and one of India’s biggest stand-up comedians, Vir Das, presents an ode to the fool in all of us. Prepare to be transported across the world in search of freedom, happiness, democracy, censorship, dead snakes, double arrests, Emmy wins, animal rescues, alleged mental wellbeing, and very viral degradation. A show for all the people who don’t have their shit together, and all the idiots who missed the big chapter on adulting. For all the fools, by a decorated one. The world premiere of Vir Das: The Fool at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe is presented by Soho Theatre in association with UTA.
Soho Theatre first introduced Vir to UK audiences in 2016 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Since then, he has become a regular in Dean Street, and in venues across the UK, building a firm following in close partnership with Soho Theatre. Vir is part of Soho Theatre’s 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.
‘He’s impish… and insightful. As pertinent as it gets’ ★★★★ Telegraph
‘Full to the brim with big laughs… sublimely assured’ ★★★★ (List)
Comedian and actor megastar Vir Das has emerged as one of the most beloved voices in comedy worldwide with The New York Times saying ‘No artist embodies the globalization of stand-up like Vir Das.’ His fourth and most recent Netflix comedy special Landing premiered to universal praise from fans and critics alike earning him a 2023 International Emmy for Best Comedy. The show toured UK-wide with Soho Theatre. His previous Netflix special Vir Das: For India was nominated for a 2021 International Emmy for Best Comedy. Landing, which Vir also directed, is a story about freedom, foolishness, the west, the east, the notion of home, and what it means to be a citizen of one nation in a global world. The special which The Daily Beast called his ‘strongest hour of stand-up yet’ and which Decider declared offers ‘plenty of food for thought for both current citizens of India, Indian-American children of immigrants, and even those of us with no ties to India’, is a capstone to Vir having performed the show more than 180 times in countries across the globe including a wildly successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
As India’s biggest stand-up comedian and a Bollywood star, Vir was the second best-selling live act in the country last year. He is currently on his international Mind Fool tour which is stopping in countries on every continent except Antarctica in 2023/24. His biggest tour yet, he has performed at multiple iconic venues including Carnegie Hall in New York City, Esplanade in Singapore, Dubai Opera in UAE, and Eventim Apollo in London. In addition, Vir has created, produced, and starred in multiple series, including the ABC spy drama-comedy Whiskey Cavalier, the thriller Hasmokh for Netflix, and the travel show Jestination Unknown for Amazon. He starred in Judd Apatow’s Netflix feature The Bubble and is currently developing his own single-camera comedy with Fox, CBS Studios and Andy Samberg’s production company Party Over Here. He is also the lead singer for India’s premiere comedy-rock band Alien Chutney.
Contact
Angela Dias | Deputy Director of Communications | angela@sohotheatre.com | press@sohotheatre.com | 020 7478 0153
LISTINGS
Venue: Pleasance Dome – King Dome
Dates: Wed 31 Jul – Fri 16 Aug (not 12)
Time: 8pm
Running time: 60 mins
Tickets: (Previews) £9; (Mon–Thu) £12 / £13; (Fri–Sun & 5/6 Aug) £13 / £14
Ages: 14+
SOHO THEATRE is London’s most vibrant producer for new theatre, comedy and cabaret. Our central London venue is established as one of UK’s busiest with a buzzing bar, lively audiences and diverse year-round festival programme with a queer, punk, counter-culture flavour. In 2025 our second venue Soho Theatre Walthamstow opens. Work extends beyond our venues with a full touring programme and strong international connections with New York, Melbourne and Mumbai. Edinburgh Fringe is a huge part of our year, we present many shows and scout hundreds more and we are UK’s leading presenter of Indian comedians. Our filmed comedy specials can be seen on international airlines and Soho Theatre Player. And our artist development and participation programmes are as important as the work on our stages. Soho Theatre is a charity and social enterprise, and our 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme is supported by Isobel and Michael Holland.
SOHO THEATRE INDIA is London’s leading producer of Indian comedy and works with artists of South Asian heritage from around the world. A home for South Asian theatre since the venue opened in Dean Street in 2000, Soho Theatre has been touring work to India for over a decade and has delivered the flagship Primary Playwrights programme and Soho Theatre Labs workshops there. When stand-up comedy emerged in India at around this time, Soho Theatre was quick off the mark, introducing new comedic voices to UK audiences, in London, at the Edinburgh Fringe and around the country. Soho Theatre has filmed several artists for Soho Theatre’s on-demand streaming platform Soho Player, Prime Video UK and international airlines, with Soho Theatre being first choice venue for many filmed comedy specials.
In 2017 Soho Theatre presented the inaugural comedy tent at the annual Diwali on the Square festival. And since 2019 Soho Theatre has presented UK and international comedians in Mumbai in partnership with G5A and OML among others. In 2022 Soho Theatre appointed its first ever India-based Comedy Producer to bring even more Indian comedians to the UK.
Indian and South Asian work is a major feature of Soho Theatre’s year-round, festival-style programme. The venue also works in partnership with larger spaces such as Eventim Apollo and the Royal Albert Hall to bring popular Indian comedians to even bigger audiences. In 2023 Soho Theatre brought five Indian and South Asian acts to the Edinburgh Fringe. One of the performers, Urooj Ashfaq, won Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, the first India-based comic to win in the award’s 40-year history. Recently, in another first, one of India’s most-loved comedians, Zakir Khan, who Soho Theatre regularly brings to the UK, became the first Indian artist to headline a sold-out Royal Albert Hall, and the first to perform in Hindi.