Stand-up Shappi Khorsandi is set to take to the stage for a brand new 27-date tour taking in a nostalgic return to Theatre Royal Winchester tomorrow, Friday March 18, where she studied at King Alfred’s College.
In her new show, entitled IT WAS THE 90S!, she tackles the equally celebrated and maligned 1990s. For her this was the decade of her 20s, and ‘ladette’ culture ruled. The decade of relative peace and prosperity when there was nothing to be done but party.
With hindsight, though, the way people behaved back then - whilst it felt like liberation - looks like the ultimate in self harm. In those days, ‘mindfulness’ was making sure you had enough money for the night bus and ‘self-care’ was putting your flat shoes in a handbag.
Reminiscing about her time in the city, Shappi said: “I was at Winchester University from 1992-1995, where I studied Drama Theatre and Television. Back when it was plain old King Alf’s. Being a Londoner, I wanted to spend my uni years walking in water meadows, enjoying the splendour of the Hampshire countryside. However, what with it being the 90s, I actually spent it drinking purple nasties and night singing The Cranberries Zombie at the top of my voice with my friends. I also spent it clubbing in Portsmouth and hitchhiking back.
“To this day, I can’t pass the Buttercross without seeing the ghost of 19 year old me in a red dungarees, waiting for my mates so we could spend the evening at The Old Vine with a lock-in and the Eclipse. Hot days were spent lazing on the Cathedral grounds.”
This is a show about how the 90s kids are looking to young people to learn how to take care of ourselves, because if you survived the car crash of being a 90s kid, then surely Things Can Only Get Better.
Shappi established herself as one of the country’s finest comedians in 2006 with her sell out Edinburgh show, Asylum Speaker and publication of her childhood memoirs, A Beginner’s Guide To Acting English.
Throughout her comedy career she has notched up numerous high profile television appearances, including: Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week and Channel 4’s Comedy Gala At The O2.
Shappi has taken part in the iconic television & live show for Amnesty International, The Secret Policeman’s Ball, as well as performed at various festivals across the UK.
A columnist, her screenwriting debut was in the form of Sky’s Little Crackers, and most recently she has been commissioned to write a drama script for BBC television.
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