Interview: Amir Dean of LADY BUSHRA: SAREE ABOUT IT at Don't Tell Mama
We chatted with DTM's drag comedian in residence about inspiration, crowd work, performing in New York City, and more
Lady Bushra is the drag persona of British comedian Amir Dean, who has been shortlisted for a BBC New Comedy Award and has quite a social media following. His show, Saree About It, is a delightful mix of stand-up comedy, audience participation games, improvised crowd work, and the occasional musical number. The show has toured internationally, and now Lady Bushra has finally arrived in New York, with a monthly residency at Don't Tell Mama. The following is a Q&A conducted with Dean.
When did you first hear about drag and how did you decide you wanted to do it?
My first encounter with drag was seeing the late great Paul O’Grady hosting the British TV show ‘Blankety Blank’ as the iconic drag persona known as Lily Savage. I can still distinctly recall my father changing the TV channel because ‘it was wrong to watch’ but still letting the channel linger for split second. Lily was sparkly, she was brash and you couldn’t help but look at her. That small action by my father let me know that there was magic in being who she was.
How did you come up with the character of Lady Bushra and the show of Saree About It? What was that process like?
Lady Bushra is ‘Vicky Pollard goes to Bollywood’. The character of Lady Bushra is inspired by those larger than life, boisterous British Asian girls who I grew up with in my hometown of Braford, UK. They were brash, confident and took on the world with great enthusiasm. People would often use the name ‘Bushra’ in a negative connotation like ‘you’re such a Bushra!’. I’m here to say to people; be confident, be larger than life. Be more like Bushra! My show ‘Saree About It’ is silly little journey that I started off in the UK as a mini tour. Think, painfully beautiful, Bollywood woman approaches the stage in a saree and enters the masses being the professional victim that she is. We close the doors and between the audience and I, put the worlds to right! We laugh, we heal and above all, we’re entertained!
What would you say is the biggest thing you’ve learned since you started performing?
Be on time, be nice, and be professional. To any booker, you’re not a drag queen with special provisions, you’re an entertainer. Think yourself in the same category as actors, burlesque dancers, singers, comedians you name it! You’re on the same level no matter what your mind tells you, actively competing to entertain the masses!
How do you feel about doing a show in New York? Is it any different from other big cities you’ve performed in?
For me a stage is a stage regardless of which city it's in; however, what makes New York so special is the people. New York has some of the best audiences; they’re not afraid to actively participate, have fun and not take themselves too seriously. I love this city so much!
Are there any artists, drag or otherwise, that you look up to?
My favourite artist of all time is the icon, the legend, the queen that is Madhuri Dixit. I implore you to stop reading this article and Google her right now. You will not be disappointed. She’s like my way more successful twin. Drag-wise, RuPaul is the OG. Her comic timing is impeccable and my gosh what a success story! Comedy wise I LOVE Joan Rivers and Alan Carr.
When I saw your show, one thing that really stood out to me was your crowd work. How much of it do you prepare in advance (ex.: stock lines that you can use in many situations) and how much of it is improvised?
Why thank you for noticing! I actually don’t pre-prepare any crowd work. I have perhaps three or four stock lines but the majority I think of in the moment. I love improvising because its my way of breaking down the barrier between audience and performer. In the UK I tend to get repeat audience members who come solely for the crowd work, even if they’ve seen the rest a dozen times!
What’s a dream or goal of yours, as an artist?
I don’t dream because they’re not set in reality whereas a dream set in reality becomes a goal. Therefore, my goal in life is to become a successful Drag Comedian. Carnegie Hall? Arena tour? TV? Film? Bring it on!
Saree About It is in monthly residency at Don't Tell Mama, and tickets for the next performance can be found on Don't Tell Mama's website.
Read a review of Saree About It here.
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