From Comedy Store: Raw And Uncut

Cinema release 2013

More Imran Yusuf videos

Finalist in the 2008 Laughing Horse new act competition

An Audience with Imran Yusuf 
Live Review

Bounding on stage for his first ever solo show at Edinburgh, Imran Yusuf isn't your stereotypical stand-up. For one thing, he's a Muslim, though he barely refers to this fact. He is also full of positive energy, happiness and joie de vivre.

He’s no doom merchant lamenting his lack of luck with the ladies but a man so full of fun that the audience can't fail to not only warm to him, but feel positively fired up by his infectious personality. He has the feelgood factor on tap.

He's no oil painting with his scrawny build, large nose and irregular teeth, but his smile lights up the room and the sound of his laughter peppers his material. Born in Kenya, he moved to England at an early age but was educated in the USA and it is from here that he draws the inspiration for most of his material.

His stories of going to school it the States were told in faultless American accents and delighted the bunch of Americans in the audience who, by coincidence, came from the same town.

The comedy drew on his experience of being ridiculed by the Americans for his English accent, but his cultural comparisons are seen from a totally different perspective as he subverts the traditional UK-USA dissonance.

By not focussing on the obvious racial stereotypes, he wins over the entire audience. His happy, positive personality leaves them feeling uplifted, energised and privileged to have had An Audience With Imran Yusuf.

Skip to page: 1 | 2

Cringeworthy to be frank. Would be nice to see asian comics doing jokes that don't revolve around race and religion. It's boring.

Neil, March 2013

Not funny "whats happening white people". His mock Al Pacino sort of voice stuff not good; his dinosaur thing is dreadful and his I'm Muslim, I'm always being mistaken for Bin Laden crap is not funny either! Better laughs are found at burning orphanages!

52I, August 2012

A joy to watch, infectious energy and very funny jokes.

Paul, February 2012

Find him painful to watch and genuinely unfunny.

Rob Davies, January 2012

Amazing! A star in the making...

ashley bromwich, February 2011

Saw him compere in Wycombe. Full of energy, did well with tricky Thursday audience.

Paul Roff, October 2010

Saw him at the Fringe this year - a real delight. Does the cheeky act very well but can also slow it down and do genuinely thoughtful stuff. Apparently he's due on Michael McIntyre's show soon - will this be the year he makes it big?

Rich, August 2010

I saw this guys two years ago at Edinburgh festival - funniest act I have ever seen! So glad to see he is back again with his own show this year!

Joanne, July 2010

Skip to page: 1 | 2