EDINBURGH 2016: BWW Q&A - Aatif Nawaz

BWW speaks to Aatif Nawaz about his 2016 Edinburgh Fringe show Aatificial Intelligence.

What can you tell us about Aatificial Intelligence?

It's essentially a thinly veiled scheme to get people to pronounce and spell my name correctly. I know what you're thinking. "Aatif...you would really go through the effort of writing a 60-minute comedy show just to persuade people how to pronounce and spell your name correctly...isn't that a bit extreme?" And I say TYPICAL. Just as a brown man aims to set the record straight, you label him an extremist.

Relax. Just jokes. The show is a refection of my interaction with the media over the last year and the weird and wonderful situations I found myself in after the surprise success of my preview show 'Muslims Do It 5 Times A Day'.

What inspired you to write the show?

Almost all of my writing comes from my own experiences. It's a wacky world out there and my perspective is pretty niche. I keep seeing people trying to dictate their own narrative. They may have more Twitter followers, more people 'hearting' their instagrams and more...err...whatever people do on LinkedIn, but my view is just as valid and probably a wee bit funnier.

What have you been up to since your last appearance at the Fringe?

After last year's Fringe I toured 'Muslims Do It 5 Times A Day'. I got the opportunity to do some stand-up on TV, go on the road with some super-talented comics and find the funny in life.

Who would you recommend comes to see Aatificial Intelligence?

Anyone who ever feels like they've been misunderstood. Or anyone who doesn't accept the narrative we're seemingly fed from all angles. Or anyone. Anyone at all really. It's a good show. Come innit.

Are there any other performances you're hoping to catch in Edinburgh?

Loads. Loads and loads and loads. But this being BroadwayWorld...if I named specific shows and didn't name others, I'd get myself into hot water with some comics. And I like having funny friends. So let's just go with a nice vague "There are so many talented acts at the Fringe that I can't wait to see". My diplomacy skills are good innit? Maybe I should make a play for one of these cabinet roles...

Timings and ticket information for Aatificial Intelligence are available on the edfringe website.

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