ED2022 Comedy ED2022 Interviews

Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa: Monsoon Season

By | Published on Thursday 18 August 2022

Here at ThreeWeeks we always have an eye out for the new blood, the fledgeling companies and the comedians coming to the Fringe with their debut hour.

And our latest interviewee falls into that last category: it’s promising up and comer Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa’s first time at the Festival and he’s already making a big impression. 

His show ‘Monsoon Season’ sounds really interesting as well as funny – expect some stories of a personal and definitely international nature. I arranged a quick chat to find out more.  

CM: Can you start by telling us a bit about what to expect from ‘Monsoon Season’ – what do you talk about in the show? 
VBR: You could think of it as almost a coming-of-age comedy. A telling of my somewhat haphazard vagabondish life so far, beginning in Sri Lanka, and spanning across America, Malaysia, Germany, and finally the UK. The stories are mostly personal, but also touch on some social and political themes that inadvertently affect me personally.

CM: What made you decide to focus on these topics in the show? 
VBR: It’s all I’ve got for the moment really!

CM: What’s it been like preparing your debut hour? What’s the creative process like? 
VBR: Not too different from most stand-ups I imagine: I usually start with the idea for a premise, work it out in clubs till it’s a routine, and then repeat ad infinitum till I hate the sound of my voice saying it.

CM: I think this is your first time at the Fringe? What expectations did you have of it all?
VBR: Yes, this is my first time. I tried to have as little expectation as I could, to be honest, I’m just taking it day by day.

CM: What made you decide to do a show at the Festival? 
VBR: Partly for the experience of being able to do the whole show every day and really hone it into a completely finished product. I also feel like it’s ready to be seen by a larger audience than I can usually find in London.

CM: Can we talk about your career in general? What started you on the path to working in comedy? Did you always feel a desire to perform?
VBR: Not particularly, but I fell into it when I moved to Berlin from Sri Lanka and have – unfortunately for my sanity – taken a liking to it.

CM: What would you say have been the most difficult things about pursuing a career in comedy?
VBR: Managing time between working full time as a software engineer and developing as a comedian. It’s as cushy as a day job can be really, but even so, it’s a tricky balance to maintain over a course of years.

CM: What have been the highlights of working in comedy thus far?
VBR: Just being able to gig is still the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done, really. And since moving to the UK, having my first TV appearance on ‘The Stand Up Sketch Show’ was wonderful. It was a great experience to see my work adapted into a visual sketch medium in that way.

CM: What aims and ambitions do you have for the future?
VBR: A great deal, but I try not to think about them. A tour would be nice though.

CM: What’s coming up next for you after this?
VBR: A long-as-I-have-leave-left-for holiday.

Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa performed ‘Monsoon Season’ at Monkey Barrel Comedy at Edinburgh Festival 2022.

LINKS: vidurabandararajapaksa.com/ | twitter.com/vidurabandarar 

Photo: Rebecca Need Menear 

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