Shappi Khorsandi
Born in Tehran, Shappi Khorsandi was bought up in London after her family fled Iran following the Islamic Revolution as her satirist father, Hadi, criticised the Ayatollah.
She started comedy around 1997, and made her first appearance at Edinburgh in 2000 – as part of a triple-hander show with Russell Brand and Mark Felgate.
She made her solo debut in 2003, returning in 2006 and 2007 – the year she was nomianted for best breakthrough act at the Chortle Awards.
She has appeared on a number of Radio 4 programmes, including Quote... Unquote, Loose Ends, You and Yours, Midweek, Just A Minute, The Now Show and The News Quiz.
A book about her childhood experiences of growing up in London in the Seventies is due to be published in spring 2009.
Shappi Khorsandi Videos
Reviews
Shappi Khorsandi at the Leicester Comedy Festival preview show
Shappi Khorsandi is smart, vivacious, innately funny and eminently likeable – tipped only this week as a rising star of the BBC as it seeks to promote more entertainers who are neither white nor male in the shake-up Jonathan Ross’s departure will trigger. Tonight, while all those attributes were on obvious display, she was also unfocussed, never quite convincing that she knew where her set was heading, and sidelining into blether when material was needed.
She would intermittently remember where she was and dole out one of the corking gags that made her reputation (including a fantastic new one about the Iranian equivalent to the ‘Cheers!’ toast) – but this wasn’t the sharpest set.
She blamed the twin strains of being a single mum and the strain of appearing on Question Time the previous night. That all sounds feasible, but let’s hope she’s not stretching herself too thin to achieve all she can in stand-up.
read more of this review …
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Shappi Khorsandi Dates
Fri 12 Jul 2013
Book Now- Ealing Comedy Festival
- 19:45
- £18.50
- Boy With Tape On His Face, Hal Cruttenden, Ian Stone, Jeff Innocent, John Mann, Kerry Godliman, Mickey Hutton, Ninia Benjamin, Paul Chowdhry, Paul Thorne, Paul Tonkinson, Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue, Shappi Khorsandi, Simon Clayton, Special guest who cannot be named, Steve Best, Topping & Butch, Windsor
Sat 13 Jul 2013
Book Now- Ealing Comedy Festival
- 19:45
- £18.50
- Boy With Tape On His Face, Hal Cruttenden, Ian Stone, Jeff Innocent, John Mann, Kerry Godliman, Mickey Hutton, Ninia Benjamin, Paul Chowdhry, Paul Thorne, Paul Tonkinson, Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue, Shappi Khorsandi, Simon Clayton, Special guest who cannot be named, Steve Best, Topping & Butch, Windsor
Fri 9 Aug 2013
Book Now- Bluewater Glow
- 19:30
- £22.50 to £33.50
- Daliso Chaponda, Jason Cook, Lee Nelson, Rob Rouse, Shappi Khorsandi, Tom Stade
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Past Shows
Shappi Khorsandi: Carry On Shappi A Night of Comedy for Ray - Hosted by Michael McIntyre
Shappi Khorsandi: The Distracted Activist Shappi Khorsandi: The Moon On A Stick Shappi Khorsandi: Me And My Brother, In Our Pants, Holding Hands Shappi Khorsandi: Dirty Looks And Hopscotch BBC Comedy Presents... September 2008
BBC London Children in Need benefit
Channel 4 Comedy Gala 2011
Funny Women Gala 2006
Leicester Comedy Festival 2007 Preview Show
Pimm's Summerfest
Secret Policeman's Ball 2008 An Evening With Shappi Khorsandi
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Older Comments
Nazreen - 18/04/2020
I saw her in Birmingham performing in front of an Asian/back audience and she just seemed uncomfortable. She was part of an all-female Asian stand up night but seemed to be culturally devoid. She talks about Iran and her Iranian roots like someone who has ever only known Hampstead. It could be funny, if she played up the differences but she just isn't. I think it was a bit of a misbooking, she had no idea about the audience and seemed to grin her way uncomfortably throught her act, alienating her still further. Perhaps her act, so obviously grown on the London club circuit, should stay there.
Mysterykat - 14/10/2012
Brilliant I would definitely go see her purely based on the school uniform pic. Go girl power/female empowerment/ironic photo shoot that really puts all us blokes in our places. In the end all we're left with is some piccys of shappi in a faux school uniform and a feeling that we've been put right about our terrible misogynistic ways. Hopefully her next comedy tour will be about that terrible time she was hounded by the press for all those topless beach pics that were taken by the paparazzi.
Tony Mercedes. - 31/08/2011
Another woman that thinks she is funny. Suffers from delusions of averageness.
Mark Doran - 05/07/2011
After enjoying "Shappi Talk" on Radio Four I saw her at Glastonbury but was disappointed at her use of foul language in front of a family audience. And her "joke" about enjoying being sexually-abused by a rugby team was embarrassingly unfunny.
Bramley - 12/01/2011
Funny but politically naive.
James McMann - 27/10/2010
I've only heard her radio show, Shappi Talk. I'm sure she's a really nice person, but how she has made a career for herself in comedy. Her standup is utterly pedestrian, lazy and derivative.
marriya zaman - 11/05/2010
I think Shappi is wicked and had me in stiches. Lmao.
Nigel Lord - 27/10/2009
A woman whose presence on the airwaves is entirely disproportionate to her talent as a comedian. This is clearly someone who ticks all the right boxes as far as radio & TV producers are concerned, but leaves the rest of us struggling to see what the appeal is beyond the engaging personality and pleasant smile. Her recent series on Radio 4 revealed the 'depth' of her talents. Take away the racism material and there's virtually nothing left. And it's at that point you find yourself slightly irritated by the central theme of her act (...that 'we' are all racist to a greater or lesser extent) and start to consider the likely fate of a female comedian in a short skirt in the country her parents were forced to leave.
Donna Scott - 31/07/2009
Well, I think Shappi is my cup of tea, even if the reviewers below don't. Her humour tends to the sweet side and she has a charming, confident delivery.
تكاور مط - 15/07/2009
هه هه هه هه، درست چند لحظه ي پيش بود كه شاهپرك رو شناختم، توي بي بي سي داشتن باهاش مصاحبه ميكردن و من خوشحالم چون يك دختر خيلي پيرين زبون رو شناختم و فهميدم كه يك هنرمندي هست كه در انگلستان در حال هنرنماييه و مايه ي افتخار ايراني ها. به تو افتخار ميكنم شهپي «تكاور»ا
Brian Suda - 24/04/2009
Utterly charming performer with woeful, uninsightful, cliched material.
Stacey Rostram - 17/04/2009
I cannot believe how she was ever considered to appear on Live At The Apollo. I saw her live a couple of weeks ago and considering how rich her background is in culture, all she could talk and make jokes about was how her family aren't "normal". Isn't that obvious in a Christian state? She talks about them being "hopeless at texting", a piece of pedestrian material by all newcomers that she's disguised and tried to fit her mould. Not clever and didn't really work to my mind. Although, she did have some neat (unexpected) gags thrown in for good measure, but others i felt were verging on the boundaries of transferred racism: 'I wanted to know what the weather in India was like, so i called my bank.' I'm not sure a white middle-class comic would have left the stage unharmed with a line like that in his or her act. Overall, I find that she just masks pedestrian material to jump on the bandwagon of the cultural comedians.
Gordon Jackson - 26/09/2008
Material was a bit light, which is forgivable if you've got some charisma. Unfortunately Shappi doesn't, and it was just a bit uncomfortable watching her. Granted the room wasn't great, with people a bit shy to sit near the front so that must be a challenge for comedians. Rambled a bit much with nothing to say, actually said "I've run out of jokes", despite "10 years in stand-up"? Either needs to prepare more, or do something else. Unimpressive.
Jo Phelan - 14/07/2008
Took a while to warm up before she looked comfortable on stage. Whilst it wasn't hilarious material, it was entertaining. I'm not sure that I'd pay to see her own show, but she is well worth seeing as part of a multiple line-up.
Michael Monkhouse - 16/01/2008
When your life's as fascinating as this, you could surely do more than a shy titter and a giggle about how members of your family are Pretty Silly Really. I just couldn't find much to admire here.
John Fernando - 29/10/2007
Clearly not as good as she thinks she is. Flat, weak material and her personality isn't engaging enough to compensate. Later, I actually chuckled over her act - remembering how bad it was.
Maneesha Doig - 17/07/2007
Saw Shappi at the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch last night. She was fantastic. I laughed non-stop along with the entire audience. She is an absolute gem, charming and creative. Just a tad nervous, I'd say, but then she was trying out new material. Would definitely attend her show again.
Sam Clark - 09/05/2007
Truly weak humour. Tpped onto an area of great potential but lacks the talent or natural wit to fulfil that potential, instead reverts to a basic crude manner - and not the good type
Alain English - 26/03/2007
Seemingly nervous, vulnerable persona wrong-foots the audience into thinking she's a pushover but quickly hits with some top-notch gags directed at her Iranian upbringing. Very good!
a fan - 05/02/2007
Shappi was on BBC Radio 4's News Quiz at the start of February 2007, and did really well. I'd not heard of her before, but she deserves wider exposure. Linda Smith is sadly no longer with us, but I have a feeling Shappi may grow to become another in the line of bright, intelligent comediennes who have got something to say, - and make us laugh when they say it!
Kevin Jackson - 16/01/2007
OK, not totally enamoured. Saw her in Harroagte a couple of months back (Nov 06?) She was amusing, kept the giggles coming, but not outstanding. With a little work she will be much better. Seems almost TOO nervous??
Sam Ling - 18/12/2006
Saw her at the Southampton Laughter Lounge as a compere funny throughout, would definitely try to see her again.
jason hill - 18/12/2006
Got the audience going really well at the Storm club with some great material.Sharp and incisive without being overly cruel! A pleasingly warm-hearted performance:would definitely see her again.
Kerri - 18/10/2006
I saw Shappi perform in Stirling this month and was thoroughly entertained. The only thing that bothered me was that as the MC for the night, her contribution was a little limited. I'd like to see her perform in her own right.
- 17/05/2006
Worst prepared standup I've ever seen.
Charlie Pottins - 08/05/2006
Saw her first time at Hampstead Comedy Club last night and she was brilliant. Original and witty. Event was benefit so was very mixed audience, and very full house. Drawing on life, and playing herself, Shappi warmed the place up and really had us chortling, also marvelling at deft way she touched some very daring subjects. Keeps up pace too, no gaps, no slow bits, defintely get your money's worth and worth going out of your way for.
MikeP - 01/02/2006
Poor. Seems unaware of how to deliver a joke, often trailing often or adding unnecessary disclaimers to her work ("So I shot him! ...I didn't actually shoot him though.") Her delivery is fast paced, with poor articulation and her material mediocre.
Stuart Snowden - 22/01/2006
Great act. Very funny. Some great observations and she built well into her themes. Would definitely see her again.
Suzie - 04/12/2005
Fab... Well worth seeing
Adam - 26/11/2005
Unfunny to the point of annoying. She was the compere and just did not get the crowd going at all. She destroyed any of her jokes which were good. Unfortunately for her it is about "the way you tell 'em". Her delivery was very poor.
MirAhmd Fakhraie - 04/12/2004
As a daughter of the most famous Iranian satirist writer, Shappi's life started in exile, hiding from terrorist group sent to kill her dad. She has grown up living under the shadow of revelation, war, terror, fanatic Islamism, exile, prejudice and so on... Humour is exaggerated tragedy and she has done a phenomenal job to prove that.
David - 24/11/2004
Just wonderful, such a natural entertainer with a huge stack of one liners and stories. Her material is very varied now (unlike a couple of years ago when I first saw her).
Brian McIntyre - 20/09/2004
Great performer, really gets the attention of the audience with just natural sparkle. Her material was a little limited I thought, there's only so much you can relate to when a fair chunk of it revolves around being Iranian when she's the only Iranian in the room. Recovered well from a few fluffs and worth a night out to be entertained by her.
Catherine - 09/11/2003
Saw her last night at the Bull in Barnet. She found that we weren't laughing a lot, but she should know that most audiences feel very uncomfortable when the artist starts making them participate in the show. I enjoyed the show very much, but spent the whole time worried she might ask me something , which somehow spoilt the pleasure.
Ben Rowan - 27/10/2003
Great in all respects. Her routine was varied, making jokes at other races, women and a large range of other material. Not one unfunny joke, had me laughing all the way through her act. Great.
Simon Jenkins - 21/10/2003
Made me laugh from start to finish. A great set. Look forward to seeing her again soon.
Alan Moore - 24/07/2003
Shappi is a natural performer. When is she going to get a chanceto do her stuff on TV?
Holly Syzlack - 19/03/2003
Absolutely great. I could watch her all night; and it's a really warm set too. Very funny and really talented.
Rainer - 18/04/2002
Just saw her on telly here in Holland. She is great. Real funny, daring and talented.