In Profile: Isma Almas

In the list of things associated with the burkha, stand-up comedy must rate close to the bottom. Yet for parts of her 2009 Fringe show, Isma Almas wore one. It’s something that would get her arrested in France these days, and it’s certainly baffled a few British audiences over the years.

The burkha is not part of Almas’s act anymore, although she laughs when we ask if this means she’s planning a French tour. “No, I’m glad I did it but I needed a break,” she says, “and I quite enjoy just doing straight stand-up. I just want people to enjoy it. With some middle-class audiences, if you’re walking a bit of a tightrope they’ll say ‘hmmm, is that PC? Hmmm, is she challenging or conforming to stereotypes?’ I like people who just laugh without overthinking it. My favourite, favourite type of audience are white, really working-class men. They don’t intellectualise things. If they think something’s funny, they’ll laugh at it.”

Born in Pakistan, Almas moved as a child to the hostile world of 70s Bradford (“there was a lot of racism then”) and her act draws heavily on this, poking fun in equal measure at both the Pakistani and British psyche. She pulls this off with a lot of charm, with a gentle Yorkshire accent and an engaging character that’s mumsy and mischievous at the same time.

Her personality must also help her in her day-job as a social worker in Bradford. “It’s quite a responsible job,” she says bashfully (we’re interrupting her at work for this interview). “I worked in mental health for years and now I run a fostering agency in Bradford.”

Does this work affect her comedy at all? “For me, it’s nice having this quite serious job but then doing comedy as well, which has no responsibility. I’ve worked with people at the lowest point of their lives, when they’ve been in really dark places, but some of them have still been able to laugh at things. It helps you see the lighter side of life.”

Almas will be working as normal while she’s in Scotland, helping vulnerable kids by day and gigging at night. Not many comedians spend their downtime in such a meaningful way; not many would be able to reconcile the dark and light sides of living with such apparent ease. Just remember that she’s not trying to inspire you, she just wants to make you laugh.