Kiran Saggu, an American-British-Indian comedian based in London, makes her solo debut with ‘Slacks’ at the Edinburgh Fringe. Produced by Objectively Funny, the show is evoking much laughter from the audiences this month at the Underbelly Bristo Square (Clover).
The ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ semi-finalist says, “The truth is… I don’t really hate hard work. As the child of immigrants, I just had a hard time convincing myself that a career in the Arts counted as work. My dad loved painting as a kid. He told his parents he wanted to be an artist. He became an engineer.
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“I think a lot of comics feel like they’re lazy, and as an Asian-American, we’re always in fear of not working hard enough. After 1st-generation immigration – what comes next? For me, it’s making people laugh. Just by doing this show, just by being a creative in the West, I’m chartering a completely new territory for my family. But somebody’s got to! Work can be anything – and we shouldn’t be afraid of doing it.
“I hope to inspire audiences to consider their own upbringings, their privilege, their ambitions, their place in and responsibility to society, then, to forget all that and just have a laugh about this world no matter which tiny bit of it we call home.”
Born to British Indian parents, she grew up as a South Asian minority in U.S. suburbia before moving to London in her late teens. Since then, she has navigated the complex world of cultural comparisons.
Saggu began performing stand-up in late 2019, channelling her quirky observations into her comedy. She quickly made a name for herself, becoming a semi-finalist in the 2021 So You Think You’re Funny competition. She has performed on professional line-ups across the UK, Europe, the USA, and South Africa.
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Saggu also co-created and co-hosts the popular monthly comedy night "Slay24" with fellow comedians Estefania Baha and Dominic McGovern.
At the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe, Saggu performed a full run of the stand-up double-bill "CAKE" with Sarah Roberts. In 2023, she joined Stamptown at Latitude Festival and opened for Jason Manford at Victorious Festival.
*Info: Kiran Saggu