Ikechukwu Ufomadu Will Bring AMUSEMENTS to the Soho Theatre This Month

Following a debut Edinburgh Fringe run in 2023, Emmy-nominated comedian Ikechukwu Ufomadu will bring his solo hour Amusements, a rigorously non-sensical piece of comic entertainment that examines universal themes like “Numbers”, “The Alphabet”, and “Humankind’s Unyielding Search for Meaning in a World That Denies Us Easy Answers” to the Soho Theatre.

Performances run Monday 26 February - Saturday 2 March.

Operating somewhere in the space between solo theatre, stand-up, sketch and character-comedy, Ike’s work defies genre while respecting the bounds of international law. His cheerful deadpan and professional air create the atmosphere an increasingly surreal academic seminar that ushers the audience oh-so-gently into a haze of mirthful absurdity. 

At the same time, Ike is not afraid to put the “Show” in “Show Business”. Channelling the consummate showmen of yesteryear like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., he relishes enthralling his audiences with jazzy, wry renditions of Mother Goose’s Greatest Hits.

He’s also not afraid to ludicrously put the “Business” in “Show Business” by using Microsoft PowerPoint® - the gold-standard of slide-show applications - to periodically address audience concerns and provide insight into such important questions as “What is happening right now?” There are also times when he throws aside the conventions of “Show” and “Business” entirely, with an Andy Kaufman-like glee. Audiences are delightfully dumbfounded when his mild-mannered introspection and steady delivery gives way to truly weird material, like his signature yodels. 

Ike is an Emmy-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning actor, writer and comedian. He can be seen in the Oscar-nominated film, Judas and the Black Messiah, as well as Los Espookys (HBO), Three Busy Debras and Joe Pera Talks With You (Adult Swim). He co-wrote and stars in the indie comedy feature film Inspector Ike(BRIC/Factory 25), which won the Jury Prize at the New Orleans Film Festival and he also co-wrote and stars in the short-form series Words with Ike (FX) which was recognized with an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Short Form Series. He recently wrote for the late night series Ziwe (Showtime) and has also written for the Emmy-nominated Tooning Out The News (Paramount Plus) and Paid Off (TruTV). As an actor, he was in the world premiere of Clare Barron’s Pulitzer-finalist play Dance Nation and as a comedian, he’s performed at venues including The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, SXSW, The Public Theater, Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova, Bushwick Starr, JACK, Union Hall, and San Francisco Sketchfest. His work has received development support from Joe’s Pub Working Group, SPACE at Ryder Farm and Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep. He was an inaugural recipient of the Jerome Foundation Artist Fellowship. 

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