BCG Pro Success Stories: Lubna Kerr

11 years is how long I've been doing comedy. I first performed comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016. By 2019, I had my first full length solo comedy show.

It was also the year that I got a small amount of funding to research and develop a short comedy piece which I called Tickbox.

The next 2 years were a write-off except for those online gigs which were wonderful. I would never travel to Canada, India or South Africa to do 5 mins but, hey, online it didn't matter and I made new friends.

In 2021, I was lucky to receive funding from Creative Scotland and Army at the Fringe to write and perform the whole comedy play, Tickbox.

That was a special year as the Fringe was small and bespoke and every show (6 nights) was a sell out.

In 2022, we came back to the Fringe with less masks and more confidence. I performed two weeks of Tickbox at Summerhall where I received my first nomination for the Philipa Brancanga award and several 4 star reviews.

In 2023 I updated Tickbox, and had it redirected. Tickbox 2 emerged and I performed a whole run at the Pleasance Courtyard, with several more four star reviews and another nomination: the OFFEST award.

That is what I have been touring with all over the United Kingdom.

The joy of taking a comedy play outside the Fringe is that I can offer Asian snacks as well as a Q&A after the show. They have been so well received.

With all this success and miles under my belt, the question arose: what next?

Tickbox 2 is my parents' story and I wanted to continue sharing what it was like for a Pakistani girl who knew no English when she went to school. But imposter syndrome was lurking.

I decided to apply to MGCfutures to research and develop my next comedy play, Chatterbox - but the website only had young people on it.

I emailed the organiser to see if I was eligible and I was, so I applied. The criteria was someone ready to make their next step in their creative development - well, that was me! One successful play under my belt, could I do another, or would this be like the proverbial second album? - only one way to find out!

Michael Grandage, who set up the charity MGCfutures, used to be an actor before he moved to directing and was not supported as he could have been.

He now helps people who are moving onto the next step. He has directed the greats like Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh and Ben Wishaw in the West End; what I would give that he could direct my next play. I am manifesting that as I write.

I was on a roll and support from Creative Scotland to write the whole next play swiftly followed. People say I'm jammy (well I do love jam, what's your favourite? Mine is blueberry as it's also healthy!).

But it's not luck. Its determination, persistence and belief. I am grateful for the role BCG Pro has played in supporting my journey - which is unique! Yes, Meera Syal might have written Anita And Me - and it was a book, a play and a film (imagine doing that in charades!). But we brown girls are not all the same. Our stories are as different as our comedy. If we applied the same rule to white people, there would only be one comedian: Billy Connolly.

My other success is to be on the BBC Scotland radio show Off The Ball, which as you can guess is about football. Something else I am passionate about. (What would a Scottish Pakistani older female know about football? Well I can spell "VAR"!)

I co-hosted the BBC Asian Network Comedy show with Noreen Khan in Glasgow in February and it was great fun being on stage and performing to an audience made up of people who had very similar skin tone to me. The 5 other comedians were fantastic: all very different in style and humour.

This was such an honour especially since it's my hard work and thick skin that has got me to where I am. No one ever gave me a break and I'm proud that I did it under my own steam.

However I, like Michael, am keen to give newer comedians a hand. Sometimes talent cannot be hidden but experience has to gained on the circuit. There are no short cuts; short circuits can mean electrifying deaths and believe me I've seen a few.

I love comedy and making people laugh. It's in my blood, my DNA. My father gave us the love of it, and I learned so much watching Morecambe And Wise, The Two Ronnies and Dave Allen.

Of course, the master story teller was Billy Connolly. If I can only entertain a millionth of the people he made laugh, I will be very happy.

---

Watch Asian Network Comedy via BBC iPlayer