2015 Edinburgh Fringe
Immigrant Diaries: Sajeela Kershi and Guests
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Venue
20: Assembly Rooms
Admin
Statistics don't really tell the story, people do. So who exactly are these 'bloody immigrants' anyway? Hear from some of them, in this light-hearted antidote to anti-immigration political rhetoric. Funny, poignant, ridiculous, sublime stories from host Comedian Sajeela Kershi and her guests, performers at the Fringe who choose to live and work on this marvellously multicultural island. 'Unforgettable night' ***** (AsianCultureVulture.com). 'Hilariously entertaining, genius idea for a show' **** (Latest7). 'Heart-warming, inspirational, a must-see' **** (BroadwayBaby.co.uk). Sell-out London Royal Festival Hall, House of Lords, Brighton, Crawley.
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A Londoner's guide to the Edinburgh Fringe
Heading out of London in search of culture may seem like a crazy idea for those who've never been to the Edinburgh Fringe. But this counter-cultural smackdown is not to be missed, even if it does mean heading "oop north 'cross t' border£" (yes, you will have to cross the M25). But newbies need not be intimidated; we went up recently and survived to tell the tale. So here are 10 things to remember to ensure your Fringe isn't too, um, hairy:
Stu Black and Ben Venables, Londonist, 12th August 2015Sajeela Kershi, Ian Smith and Thünderbards (Link expired)
Stand-ups Sajeela Kershi and Ian Smith, and sketch duo Thünderbards tell us which comedians they would take on holiday with them and which ones they would start a hip-hop style feud with.
Alex Watson, WOW247, 9th August 2015Fringe Q&As: Sajeela Kershi
Sajeela Kershi discusses hecklers, Christian Slater and praying to the comedy gods.
The Herald, 6th August 2015What it feels like to ... be a female Muslim comedian
The first time I was on stage was at an embassy do in Germany. I was five years old, my brother was four and it was the most traumatic thing.
Jill Castle, The Herald, 1st August 2015Edinburgh Fringe interview: Sajeela Kershi
Sajeela Kershi is a comedian, writer & actress. She has performed all over the UK and abroad including taking shows to the Edinburgh, Glasgow and Brighton fringes as well as performing at the Montreal Just for Laughs festival. This year Kershi brings two groundbreaking shows to the festival.
The New Current, 30th July 2015Edinburgh Festivals 2015: top 5 picks
Our section editors narrow their Edinburgh Festivals picks down to a tick-'em-off-as-you-go top 5...
The Skinny, 27th July 2015Fringe preview: being a Muslim comedian
A group of Muslim comedians are tackling myths, misconceptions and media scaremongering.
Marissa Burgess, The List, 23rd July 2015Five fast Fringe questions with... Sajeela Kershi
A quick interview with Sajeela Kershi.
The Public Reviews, 18th July 2015More details
Immigration is a hot topic dividing Brits. How many are there? How does it effect us? Who are these bloody immigrants? Isn't it time we heard from them?
This multi award-winning show, fresh from two acclaimed sell-out runs at London's Southbank and the Brighton Fringe was born at the Edinburgh Fringe - but also born of frustration. Finishing her Edinburgh run in 2013 Sajeela Kershi (Mixing It, BBC Radio Scotland) found herself picking up the newspapers again and being bombarded with anti-immigration rhetoric. When did immigrants become such a dirty word? Sajeela had just spent a magical month in a town full of performers and punters from an immigrant background, yet where were they in the debates she saw in the media?
Sajeela's response was to bring audiences captivating true-life immigration stories from special guests from the world of comedy, entertainment and beyond, including Shobu Kapoor (EastEnders), Jing Lusi (Holby City), Nikki Bedi (BBC Radio London 94.9), Shyama Perera (The Six O'Clock Show), and comedians Juliet Meyers (The Sarah Millican Televison Programme), Inder Manocha (Skins) and Dave Cohen (Horrible Histories).
The Edinburgh Fringe run will feature Dave Cohen, Jing Lusi and a host of other guests who will already be part of the Fringe - all with funny, poignant, ridiculous and sublime stories from people who chose to live and work on this marvellously multicultural island. Among them, of course, Sajeela tells her own story - of how her parents arrived in the UK in the early hours of a cold winter's morning with all their possessions, three children and 3000 cigarettes stuffed into a Scooby-Doo van!
Winner, Argus Angel award for artistic excellence
Nominee, Brighton and Hove Independent Award for Outstanding Local Talent
Sajeela Kershi
Sajeela Kershi has been performing stand-up since 2006. She got her big break as one of the audience 'plants' in Brendon Burns's 2007 if.comedy-winning show, So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now? Since then Sajeela has written several shows for the Edinburgh Fringe festival and was a finalist at the Hackney Empire New Act Awards in 2011. This year Sajeela won an Asian Woman of Achievement award (Arts & Culture section). She subsequently swapped roles and gave an award at Limelight Film Award for short films where she is presenting the award for best comedy film.
Before the Edinburgh Fringe, Sajeela will take Immigrant Diaries for a special performance at the House of Lords and to WOMAD.
Performances
| Date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 7th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 8th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 9th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 10th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 11th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 12th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 13th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 14th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 15th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 16th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 18th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 19th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 20th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 21st Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 22nd Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 23rd Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 24th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 25th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 26th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 27th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 28th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 29th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |
| 30th Aug 2015 | 22:00 | Assembly Rooms |