Published: Wed 2 Aug 23

Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month

It’s South Asian Heritage Month so we thought we’d take the opportunity to celebrate some of our artists who have made Soho their home and platform all year round.

You can read our full story here but if that’s TLDR, then below is a whistle-stop tour of acts we’ve got coming up at Dean Street, at the Ed Fringe  and beyond. Plus some brilliant emerging talent to keep an eye out for too.

Abishek & Nirmal are known for their exceptional talents in reels, reality shows, feature films and web series and have earned numerous accolades including Instagram’s 25 Under 25 Influencers and ranking #5 on Forbes’ 100 Digital Stars.

Urooj Ashfaq is a rising star of the Indian comedy circuit. From Mumbai, she came to prominence as a finalist on the hit Indian TV show Queens of Comedy. Her latest show, Oh No! has just been described by the Evening Standard as a ‘fast-talking, quick-thinking treat.’ At Soho Theatre and the Fringe.

Alex Bertulis-Fernandes is one of our Soho Theatre Labs alumni and finalist of this year’s Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award.

Joshua Bethania is a Soho Theatre Labs alumnus, winner, finalist and nominee of several comedy awards and is performing Best of So You Think You’re Funny? and doing some work-in-progress shows at the Fringe.

Don Biswas is a veteran of the comedy circuit, a real powerhouse on stage. His Fringe show is about his experience with dyspraxia and autism.

Sudha Bhuchar is a pioneer of the British South Asian cultural scene. She was co-founder of Tamasha Theatre Company and is an acclaimed actor and writer. She has worked at Soho Theatre on numerous occasions since the early 2000’s, most recently in her warm-hearted monologue Evening Conversations, inspired by banter with her dual-heritage millennial sons who have grown up in leafy Wimbledon while her life has spanned three continents. After a successful run at Soho Theatre earlier this year followed by an audio version on Audible, Soho will again be co-presenting Evening Conversations at the Fringe.

Vir Das is India’s biggest stand-up comedian and Bollywood star and has a long relationship with Soho Theatre, calling us his ‘UK home venue.’ This December we’re bringing Vir back to London for one night only at the Eventim Apollo.

Charlie George featured in our Comedy Tent at Diwali in the Square 2019 and is a Soho Theatre Labs alumnus going from strength to strength.

Priya Hall was part of our Diwali line-up last year and is debuting at the Fringe this year with a charming show about her heritage and relationship with her Welsh grandmother.

Biswa Kalyan Rath is a well-established Indian comedian who brings his trademark observational comedy to the Fringe for the first time. YouTube audiences will recognise him from the popular series Pretentious Movie Reviews which he co-hosted with comedian Kanan Gill. Last year, his Amazon Prime special Mood Kharaab was filmed at Soho Theatre.

Zakir Khan is one of the most loved and celebrated stand-up comedians in India. From winning the title of ‘India’s Best Stand Up’ to selling 100,000 tickets across 72 cities in 2019 alone, his has been an incredible journey. This October we’re bringing Zakir back to London for one night only at the Royal Albert Hall, performing in Hindi.

Shalaka Kurup was also part of our Diwali line-up, and is featured in the Pleasance Comedy Reserve line-up at the Fringe.

Leila Navabi is a Soho Theatre Labs alumnus and musical comedian, also debuting this year at the Fringe.

Suhani Shah is the world’s first and most famous female mind reader, bringing her mesmerising show Spellbound to the Fringe. A child prodigy, Suhani’s journey as an illusionist began at the age of 7. Today she is a social media sensation with the highest number of subscribers globally.

Sapan Verma is a stand-up sensation in India and brings his hilarious show Shame On Me to Soho Theatre and the Fringe. His killer observations and comedic storytelling have led him to open for Coldplay and Jay-Z at India’s Global Citizen Festival. He also headlined the first-ever Indian comedy showcase at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and hosted the hit show One Mic Stand on Amazon Prime.