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Sadia Azmat

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Sadia Azmat
Born1990 (age 33–34)
Leyton, London, UK
MediumStand-up
NationalityBritish
Years active2010–present
GenresObservational comedy, self-deprecation
Subject(s)British Asian culture, stereotypes, racism, Islamic humour
Websitewww.sadiaazmat.com

Sadia Azmat (Urdu: عظمت سعدیہ; born 1990) is an English stand-up comedian.

Early life

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Azmat was born to Indian parents in Leyton, England.[1] At the age of 19, she started wearing hijab.[2]

Career

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Azmat had been working in call-centres of varying descriptions,[1][3] but in 2010, Azmat started performing stand-up comedy.[4]

In August 2011, she performed her debut show Please Hold – You're Being Transferred to a UK Based Asian Representative at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival[4] at the Laughing Horse @ Finnegan's Wake,[5] which was directed by Deborah Frances-White.[1] In August 2011, Azmat also featured on BBC Radio 4's Front Row[6] and a producer invited her to perform at the Cape Town Festival 2012.[4]

In December 2011, she performed at the Desi Central Comedy Tour in Glasgow.[7]

In August 2014, she performed her debut full-length show I'm not Malala at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the Laughing Horse.[8] In September 2014, she was interviewed by Nadia Hussein and Sakinah Lenoir on British Muslim TV's Sisters' Hour.[9]

In June 2015, she made a short film Things I Have Been Asked As a British Muslim as part of the British Muslim Comedy series, five short films by Muslim comedians commissioned by the BBC for release on BBC iPlayer.[2][10][11] Azmat debunked Muslim stereotypes, including the "Muslim verdict", racism, Ramadan, integration and hijab,[10] thus providing a look at life as a Muslim woman.[12] In August 2015, she performed at the inaugural Muslim Lifestyle Expo at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.[13][14] In September 2015, she appeared on Sky News's Morning Stories series on YouTube, questioning what people would be willing to do for someone we love.[15]

In January 2016, Azmat appeared on This Week where she criticised David Cameron's push for English language lessons for Muslim women to help them resist the lure of Islamic extremism.[16]

In March 2017, as part of our All Women Everywhere month, Azmat appeared on a video about Asian Women talking about stereotypes they deal with while dating.[17]

Azmat also a regular in the YouTube channel Bend It TV aimed to providing the news from an Asian perspective.[11]

Comedy style

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Azmat's act is observational humour[4] about her experiences working as a call centre[3] operative for a well-known car insurance firm,[5] being a British Asian[4] Muslim[18] growing up in London,[4] and moves on to more general cross-cultural issues,[19] about race[20] and religion,[3] her difficulties in the UK job market and an Asian mum gag.[19]

Azmat is described by The Sunday Times as "hilarious and insightful" for her current set of I Am Not Malala.[11]

Awards and recognition

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In September[21] 2011,[22] Azmat was shortlisted[23] for the Funny Women Awards final[24] in Leicester Square Theatre, London.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Hawkins, Si (12 August 2011). "Sadia Azmat". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b "British Muslim Comedy - Sadia Azmat: Things I have been asked as a British Muslim". BBC iPlayer. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Hawkins, Si (17 August 2011). "Finalist Profile: Sadia Azmat". The National. Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Azmat, Sadia (2011). "Finalist Profile: Sadia Azmat". Funny Women. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  5. ^ a b Summerlin, William (11 August 2011). "Please Hold, You're Being Transferred to a UK Based Asian Representative". Broadway Baby. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Front Row: In Edinburgh with AL Kennedy; Bobby Crush; Andy Zaltzman". BBC Radio 4. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  7. ^ "Desi Central Comedy Tour 2011". Awaz Media. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  8. ^ Glasheen, Emma (12 August 2014). "Interview: Sadia Azmat". FreshAir. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Sisters' Hour - S01E47". British Muslim. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  10. ^ a b Jones, Alice (25 June 2015). "Ramadan films and HaLOL: the rise of British Muslim Comedy". The Independent. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  11. ^ a b c Badat, Hafeeza (19 June 2015). "British Muslim Comedy Takes Over BBC iPlayer". Asian Image. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  12. ^ Harrison, Phil; Mumford, Gwilym (15 June 2015). "Catch-up TV guide: from All Shook Up to British Muslim Comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  13. ^ Gardiner, Melanie (6 August 2015). "UK Muslim lifestyle expo hailed a success". ExhibitionWorld. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  14. ^ Beckerleg, Mel (30 July 2015). "Couple organise Muslim lifestyle expo". Aylesbury: Bucks Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  15. ^ Harrison, Phil (6 September 2015). "Morning Stories: Love Can Be Unfair". Sky News. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  16. ^ "Sadia Azmat on PM's language comments". BBC News. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  17. ^ Bell, Poorna; Rajan, Nitya (1 March 2016). "Asian Women Talk About The Dumbass Stereotypes They Deal With While Dating, And It's Hilarious AF". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  18. ^ Frances-White, Deborah; Marsha, Shandur (2013). Off the Mic: The World's Best Stand-Up Comedians Get Serious About Comedy. Bloomsbury Methuen Drama. p. 36. ISBN 978-1472526380.
  19. ^ a b "Sadia Azmat". The Glee Club. 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  20. ^ Ajderian, Jennifer (10 August 2011). "ED2011 Comedy Review: Please Hold, You're Being Transferred To A UK Based Asian Representative (Sadia Azmat / Laughing Horse Free Festival)". Edinburgh: ThreeWeeks. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  21. ^ "Funny Women Awards Final". London Is Funny. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Past Finalists". Funny Women. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  23. ^ "It's no 'red or black' for Awards quarter and semi-final". Funny Women. 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  24. ^ Aird, Jon (12 October 2011). "Funny Women". BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  25. ^ "The King is Queen of Comedy". tiemotalkofthetown. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
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