Fresh from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the razor-sharp comic delivers a fearless, effortlessly controlled hour at Soho Theatre — blending religion, relationships and reinvention into a globally resonant triumph.
Following a standout run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Saaniya Abbas brought her show Hellarious to the Soho Theatre in central London — and in doing so confirmed that her Fringe momentum was no fluke. The hour long show feels polished, purposeful and utterly confident, yet never loses the loose, conversational charm that makes her so immediately likeable.
Abbas, a self-described non-practising Muslim, dissects her own life with what can only be described as surgical precision. From her upbringing in India to building a life in Dubai, from navigating marriage and divorce to confronting her complicated, sometimes strained relationship with religion, she turns autobiography into sharp, intelligent comedy. There’s no indulgence, no self-conscious gravitas — just clarity, control and beautifully timed punchlines.
The title Hellarious is apt: she dives headfirst into topics many comics circle cautiously. Religion, sex, colonoscopies, eternal damnation — nothing is too taboo. Her riffs on Haram and Halal, and her sharp observation about “à la carte Muslims,” are both culturally specific and universally funny. What’s most impressive is how she threads these ideas together. On paper, visas, the Epstein files, driving tests, dating apps and parental expectations sound like scattered fragments. In her hands, they become a cohesive narrative. Seemingly random anecdotes fold into one another with precision, each detour carefully steering back to a central theme of identity, autonomy and self-definition.
The show is tightly controlled without ever feeling rigid. Abbas has a gift for making carefully structured material appear effortless. The segues are clean, the call-backs satisfying, and the pacing deliberate. It’s rare to see a performer juggle such diverse subject matter while maintaining a clear emotional through-line — yet she does so with quiet authority.
Her greatest asset, however, is her likeability. Abbas radiates warmth. She doesn’t lean on histrionics or exaggerated delivery; she doesn’t need to. Her composure and calm confidence draw the audience in. You feel as though you’re in conversation with her rather than being performed at. That natural ease gives even her most provocative jokes an inviting quality. She can talk about going to hell or intimate medical procedures and somehow make it feel both inclusive.
Saaniya AbbasJimmy Ennis
The audience — strikingly cross-cultural — responded in unison. Whether familiar with the nuances of South Asian Muslim culture or not, everyone found a way into the material. That universality is no small feat. Her stories may be rooted in specific geographies — India, Dubai, Britain — but her themes of family pressure, romantic missteps, bureaucratic absurdity and spiritual doubt resonate widely. Laughter rippled across demographics; connection felt genuine rather than polite.
Abbas was particularly electric in her crowd work. Some of the biggest laughs of the night emerged from spontaneous interactions. Where many comics from India can sometimes struggle with the unpredictability of UK audiences, Abbas thrived. She was quick, playful and unflustered, turning off-the-cuff exchanges into highlight moments without losing control of the show’s structure. It’s a difficult balance — improvisational freedom within a tightly constructed hour — and she navigated it with impressive finesse.
Though she began stand-up relatively late, Hellarious doesn’t feel like the work of a newcomer finding her feet. It feels like the confident opening chapter of a much bigger story. The show closes by tying its many threads together with an unexpectedly uplifting message: that failure, divorce, doubt and even spiritual confusion can be reframed as catalysts for growth. It’s a resonant ending that elevates the hour beyond pure comedy without tipping into sentimentality.
For Soho Theatre, long known for championing bold new voices, this run adds to its growing legacy of introducing exciting Indian talent to UK audiences. In Saaniya Abbas, they have helped spotlight a comic with genuine global potential.
If Hellarious is any indication, this is only the beginning. Abbas combines precision, warmth, fearlessness and control — a rare quartet. You will undoubtedly be hearing much more from her. Greatness, in her case, doesn’t feel like hype. It feels inevitable.
