ED2016 3/5 Reviews ED2016 Comedy Reviews

Yaseen Kader: Smile (Tweedle Comedy/Pembroke Players)

By | Published on Wednesday 24 August 2016

Yaseen Kader Ed2016

Yaseen Kader’s depression led him to drop out of university, go to New York and, indirectly, to write this show. There’s some admirably candid stuff about mental health issues here, and some funny stuff about online dating, where his self-confessed nerdiness provides the bulk of the comic substance. Unfortunately, those two elements don’t quite join up. The depression bit is light on laughs (I know, I know – but it is a comedy show and that takes up about half of it) and, where that seeks to establish narrative, the second half is a series of comic anecdotes. Kader himself acknowledges that he is finding his feet and, with his awkward charm and nice attention to comic detail, he definitely could. Worth encouraging.

Gilded Balloon at the Counting House, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]



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