Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

When Mumbai-based Urooj Ashfaq won the best newcomer award at Edinburgh two years ago, a certain reviewer made a comment that what passed for edgy in India was conservative in the UK. Well, now she’s back to prove him – well, OK, it was me – wrong with a show demonstrating her bad-girl side.

Cue a raunchy dance – and stand-up routines about Islam not being as good a faith system as astrology, the teenage erotica she wrote about One Direction, and having her haemorrhoids attended to.

Much of this would not be permitted back home, where authorities are getting increasingly censorious about the fast-growing comedy circuit, with very real consequences for those who fall foul. But even so the ‘baddie’ label never really sticks to Ashfaq – not so much because of the material but because of her persona. She’s so affable on stage, that the material comes across as ‘cheeky’ or ‘naughty’ at its strongest.

The fanfic forms the foundation of the show and, after contrasting the slow-burn of erotica with the instant gratification of porn, she delves into the various subgenres available, few of which could be considered wholesome from a feminist perspective.

The teenage comedian wrote her own story, fantasising about being ‘sold’ to One Direction  so Harry Styles could have his wicked way with her. She reads it here and the awkward youthful yearning contrasts with her more worldly contemporary commentary, proving a very effective counterpoint.

At school, Ashfaq was described as ‘talkative’ and obviously that trait has continued into adulthood. Another extended routine here recalls a playground fight she got into with a fellow pupil who insulted her sister with a Hindi word that roughly equates to ‘whore’ but with even worse connotations.

Talking of child abuse naturally causes the audience to withdraw – and the comic is possibly a bit too quick to point that awkwardness out, making us even more self-conscious. But the routine about Indian parents beating their children is not too extreme.

The final plank of the show is about her treatment for piles – one of several routines this Fringe about medical procedures in that region. Confusion about what a ‘digital inspection’ means and her surgeon recognising her from YouTube is de rigueur for routines like this, and Ashfaq hits the marks squarely. What she loses in originality, she makes up for in self-deprecating  charm.

The 2023 Chortle review that inspired this show also said Ashfaq was not slick, though with two extra years of performing stand-up in English, she’s certainly conquered that, and her conversational approach to this show is effortless. My follow-up verdict on this performance? Not bad…

Review date: 18 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club