The buzz surrounding Imran Yusuf as he Brings the Thunder continues and here’s a view from The Independent’s festival critc.
Imran Yusuf – Bring the Thunder
“Bursting with confidence and smooth patter” Independent
Elsewhere, Imran Yusuf, who was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award for his debut last year, cuts a slimline dash in white linen suit and patent black shoes. Born in Mombasa, he grew up in Hackney Downs, or, as he puts it, he was “born in the third world and upgraded to the ghetto”.
Bursting with confidence and smooth patter, “the spirit of Malcolm X in the body of Mahatma Gandhi” has strong words for those who believe that multiculturalism has failed. He points out the advantages of his diverse upbringing (you can swap the teams you support, depending on the sport) while poking fun at the stereotypes. Why do people always insist on asking him what his parents think of his chosen career, he asks. “My Mum doesn’t know I’m a stand-up, because my Dad doesn’t let her out of the house.”
Friday, 19 August 2011. Independent.