Stand up star Sunil Patel rides Faster Horses into Edinburgh Fringe
By ASJAD NAZIRAug 03, 2022
Acclaimed stand-up star Sunil Patel has galloped into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival with his latest show Faster Horses.
The award-winning comedian follows up multiple television appearances and big performances on the live circuit with a laughter-filled show that runs throughout August.
The gag-filled show looks at everything, from his own failed enterprises, crypto bros, and lockdown business ideas to arguing that people don’t know what they want until they get it.
Eastern Eye caught up with the funny British Asian talent to discuss his new show and connection to comedy.
What is it that first drew you towards stand-up comedy?
Probably when I bought Lee Evans Live on VHS in HMV on Oxford Street in the 90s. I wanted to buy something with my saved-up pocket money, panicked and bought it because it was on display. It was mind-blowing. I couldn’t stop watching that tape and made all my friends come round and watch it.
What has been your most memorable moment in comedy so far?
Probably the three hours I spent improvising a scene with Anne Hathaway and Roger Federer for a Swiss tourism film. She had an idea for a scene where I called her fat. I don’t think it made it to the final edit.
What inspired your Edinburgh Fringe show Faster Horses?
It’s from a Henry Ford quote – “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”. I guess he was saying you should ignore people and just get on with your vision. I’m not sure I agree, but then I haven’t invented the car, have I?
Tell us about the show?
Well, I thought my stand-up career was over when the pandemic started, and I had to think of something else to do with my life, so tried to write down business ideas every day. They were all awful. So, this show is about all those ideas, and the approximately 40 jobs I’ve had in my life. It’s a bit like Dragon’s Den but the audience are the dragons.
Have you ever been on or near a really fast horse?
No, I am allergic to horses.
Do you ever get nervous before going on stage?
Yes, always. If I didn’t, I would probably do very badly on stage.
Who is your own comedy hero?
I don’t think I have a hero really. I mean I love watching stand-up but haven’t laughed harder at anything than I did at that guy who slid down the steps into the Thames with his top off a few years ago. Okay, maybe he is my hero?
What do you love about the Edinburgh Fringe festival?
The weather. Rainy, cold, dark. Love it. Can’t stand London in August, it’s too hot. Also, Edinburgh is just a beautiful city to be in and you can walk everywhere (in the rain).
What is it that inspires you as a comedian?
I guess it’s just anything I find funny, from my friends, to silly things that happen to me, to hour-long reviews of mid-priced hatchbacks on YouTube.
Has comedy and being funny ever got you in trouble?
Yeah, all the time. I fell off a chair at school when I was five, and everyone laughed, so I did it again and then got told off. I think that incident set the tone for the rest of my life.
Why should we come watch your show at Edinburgh Fringe?
There’s nothing else on at 1.55pm, and I’m not taking a single day off.
Sunil Patel: Faster Horses is on until Sunday August 28 at Monkey Barrel Comedy, 9-12 Blair Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QR. www.edfringe.com
ACTOR Raj Ghatak praised the enduring appeal of The Producers as he takes on a role in the hit Broadway show, now playing in the West End.
Ghatak is the first person of colour to portray Carmen Ghia, the flamboyant partner of eccentric director Roger DeBris (Trevor Ashley) and, consequently, his character is dressed in the south Asian attire of sherwani (tunic) and kurta pyjama.
In an interview with Eastern Eye, he said, “The world was arguably a happier place when it was first written.
“But what we’re finding now is that audiences are so grateful to laugh. They sit down, immerse themselves in the story, and forget everything else. That’s the power of theatre.”
Describing the show as a kind of “therapy” for modern times, Ghatak said, “Audiences tell us how welcome it is to laugh so hard again”.
It is the first major London revival of American filmmaker and actor Mel Brooks’ classic, which earned an unprecedented 12 Tony Awards, and has transferred from a sold-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory to the Garrick Theatre.
Based on Brooks’ 1967 cult film, the story follows two desperate Broadway producers who scheme to get rich by producing a flop, only for their plan to go hilariously wrong.
Trevor Ashley as Roger DeBris and Ghatak as Carmen Ghia in The Producers
Teeming with Brooks’ signature wit, the show delights in its irreverence, sending up everything from show business to politics. Ghatak said, “It’s massively exciting to be part of it. And this time around, they’ve leaned in to my ethnicity. I wear a kurta pajama and a sherwani – things that have obviously never been done before. It gives us visibility.”
Two decades ago, Ghatak starred in Bombay Dreams, AR Rahman’s West End musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, that became a cultural turning point for British Asian performers.
Ghatak recalled how the show “broke the glass ceiling for south Asian actors”.
He said, “At the time, it was just a job – a very high-profile one. But, years later, people tell me they were taken to see that show as children, and because of it, they felt they had permission to be an actor. That’s something that was never the case in my day.”
That generational shift is something Ghatak takes pride in. “When I look back, it feels like we’ve come a long way. But we still have a long way to go.”
Being part of The Producers brought Ghatak face to face with one of his heroes. Brooks himself, now 99, had to approve his casting.
The actor said, “They filmed my meeting. I met the team on a Friday afternoon, and on Monday morning they said, ‘Pending Mel Brooks’ approval, we’d like to offer you the role.’ I remember thinking, if I don’t get his approval, does this mean I can’t do the job?”
The cast had four weeks of full-time rehearsals. “For that production, I watched both films,” Ghatak said, referring to the 1967 original and the 2005 version with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
“I wanted to understand the source material. I’m a firm believer that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Otherwise, you’re changing something for the sake of it. But rehearsals are where you experiment and play.” He credited both Brooks’ writing and Patrick Marber’s direction for the show’s humour.
“Our director comes from a background of plays. My own background is in plays, TV and film. So, we both approached this with the idea that, however heightened the situation or character, it must be grounded in truth,” he said.
Ghatak trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Queen Mary University in London and has worked with Emma Thompson, Nicole Kidman, Riz Ahmed, Sir Derek Jacobi, Ewan M c G r e - g o r, Hugh Jackman and Benedict Cumberbatch. His stage credits include The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and The Father and the Assassin. He has worked with some of the most respected directors in theatre, including Dominic Cooke, Indhu Rubasingham, Rufus Norris, Kerry Michael and now Marber.
Despite his achievements, the actor is conscious of the ongoing struggles for representation. He said, “As much as the situation has improved, we’ve still got a long way to go. Roles that challenge me, excite me. There are so many stories from the Asian subcontinent and diaspora that deserve to be told.
“When I started, there were very few people I could look to as role models. That’s why I’ve become such a champion for diversity and inclusion.”
Born and raised in north London to Bengali parents from Kolkata, he grew up surrounded by music and culture.
“My father was a doctor, and my mother was a chemistry teacher,” Ghatak said, adding, “But there was always music at home. My father sings Rabindra Sangeet, my mother plays guitar, and my sister is a classical singer.” Initially, he didn’t see acting as a viable career. “I went to a very academic school.
My interests were split between medical sciences and the performing arts.”
Eventually, he followed his childhood passion and trained as an actor.
He said, “A show like The Producers challenges me in a different way - it makes me laugh and it makes me think. That’s what keeps me passionate about the work.”
Asked what continues to excite him about musical theatre, Ghatak said, “Being in this show and telling this story. The comedy, the chaos, the craft… it’s such a joy. And to be the only person of colour among the six principal cast members, representing our community on such a stage, that’s something I’m proud of.”
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