Brown Sauce and Tara Theatre partner for Comedy Lab

Brown Sauce, a monthly comedy club for South Asian comedians, is partnering with Tara Theatre to present The Comedy Lab on 18 October.

Participants will join a free one-day workshop in London, guided by comedy professionals. The workshop will end with a ticketed showcase event where participants will perform a 5-minute routine alongside a headline act.

Sharlin Jahan, founder of Brown Sauce, said, "Starting out in comedy isn't easy, especially as a minority. The Comedy Lab is a fantastic chance for new South Asian comedians to shine and build a supportive community. We hope this is the first of many initiatives to support the South Asian comedy scene."

Established in 2021, Brown Sauce is a showcase charity night celebrating underrepresented South Asian comedic voices in the industry. Known for its unfiltered humour, the comedy night is hosted and curated by comedian Sharlin Jahan in central London monthly, and features well-known acts and up-and-coming comedians.

Past acts have included the likes of Nish Kumar, Mawaan Rizwan, Sindhu Vee, Shazia Mirza, Atsuko Okatsuka, Ahir Shah, Ria Lina, Kiran Deol, Bilal Zafar, Fatiha El-Ghorri, and Joshua Bethania.

Tara Theatre, the UK's oldest global majority-led theatre company, has also supported South Asian performers for four decades.

Helen Jeffreys, executive director and joint CEO, said, "Tara Theatre is all about developing South Asian talent of all kinds, and comedy is a brilliant way to explore important topics while having a laugh. Our partnership with Brown Sauce is exciting, and we can't wait to uncover new comedy talent."

Neena Shea, Tara Theatre's senior producer, and Gavin Joseph, associate director, said, "We're excited to collaborate with Brown Sauce to champion the South Asian community and new comedians. Comedy can challenge, provoke, and respond to oppression while bringing joy to the diaspora."

Aspiring comedians of South Asian background with 0-1 years of experience can apply for The Comedy Lab by 4 September. Successful applicants will be notified by 20 September.

The headliner for the showcase will be announced soon, with tickets available on the Tara Theatre website.