Newbury performer brings award winning comedy to Soho Theatre

A Newbury based performer is heading to London’s Soho Theatre with a fast rising comedy show that has already made a big impact at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Anisa Khorassani , part of sketch trio Pat Rascal, will be performing Space Gravy for three nights from 26 to 28 March. The show blends sketch comedy, physical theatre and audience interaction into an energetic and unpredictable performance.

Speaking to Kennet Radio, Anisa explained how the group first came together after university through the UCL comedy scene. “I never really thought that I would be doing comedy. I always wanted to do acting,” she said. “But then I ended up auditioning and that sort of changed the course of my performing.”

The trio took the show to the Edinburgh Fringe, where it exceeded expectations. “We sold out so much and we were the sixth best reviewed show of the fringe,” she told us.

Part of the show’s appeal comes from the mix of styles and personalities on stage. “The three of us, we’re all quite different performers. We bring different energies,” Anisa said. “There’s sketch comedy, but there’s also physical comedy, there’s clowning and there’s audience interaction.”

Space Gravy itself is built around a deliberately surreal idea. “It’s an absurd comedy play about one boy’s dream to send Yorkshire to Mars,” she explained.

The concept was inspired by Yorkshire’s success during the London 2012 Olympics. “If we can do that, we can do anything,” she said, describing the moment that sparks the character’s ambition.

The show embraces its offbeat humour, featuring physical set pieces, music and even sections performed in Spanish. “We just thought it would be fun and it is. It’s great,” Anisa said, describing one of the more unexpected elements of the performance.

Performing live comedy can also mean dealing with unpredictable audiences. Recalling one moment at the Fringe, she said, “There was a group of lads who were a bit lively… when I came out in a nun costume, I looked at them and said ‘shut up’. They went silent and everyone lost it.”

Now bringing the show to Soho Theatre, the group are stepping into one of London’s best known venues for comedy. “The Soho Theatre is sort of the best place to go for absurd comedy,” she said.

Although the late 10.30pm start may be a stretch for Berkshire audiences travelling in, there is hope the show could come closer to home in the future. “Lots of people in Newbury keep asking when they can see it,” Anisa said. “So that is sort of gently in our minds.”

For now, audiences can catch Space Gravy in London and see why it has already gained such strong reviews.

More information and tickets are available here:
https://sohotheatre.com/events/pat-rascal-space-gravy/