Asian Provocateurs: Rule Britannia!

Sajeela Kershi and Yasmeen Khan are the UK’s leading female British-Asian sketch duo. It’s possible they’re the only female British-Asian sketch duo, but that takes nothing away from how good they are.

From their first moment on stage the pair strike up some good-natured banter between themselves and with the audience. The meat of the show is a barrage of varied and consistently funny sketches, lampooning everything from 24 hour news culture to the complex naming systems in their families. Although they take hijabs, Bollywood and the BNP as starting points, the comedy is resolutely mainstream and the jokes are universal. With a Taliban sketch ending in jazz hands, it’s safe to say they wear their politics lightly.

Kershi and Khan are skilled comic actresses with a keen eye for female characters, whose spoofs and skits bring TV’s Smack the Pony to mind. Indeed much of the wealth of material showcased here would translate well to the small screen. The format is accessible and fun throughout, and their warmth and energy hard to resist.