“Making something funny out of unfunny ingredients”: In conversation with Nish Kumar
By willowfowler

Growing up with my dad and brother constantly putting QI, 8 out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie To You? and, of course, The Mash Report on the TV, sitting down on Zoom with Nish Kumar was a surreal moment for me. His show Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe – the extended UK leg of which will be kicking off in May – uses stand-up to confront “climate collapse, income inequality and the emotional sensation of being a British Indian man who isn’t going to vote for a British Indian Prime Minister”. We discussed the significancee of political comedy in processing and bringing light to these difficult subjects.
I began by asking about the show’s title, which brought up some surprising lore that Kumar is a, and I quote, “huge Kendrick Lamar fan”, parodying the song ‘Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe’. He went on to outline that the show is centred around creating comedy from subjects which are objectively not funny, being “a stand-up show about some pretty rough subjects and [the title] was a fun way of engaging with that”.
There are plenty of things currently occurring in the world that could easily kill your vibe and whilst comedy remains a vessel of escape, the pessimistic undertones of the title led me to enquire if his own comedy, or comedy in general, has become a buzzkill: “In some elements, yes”. He cited some comedians in the US in response, ones who are enabling the oligarchy that is currently unfolding or comedians opening at Trump rallies – “that’s the sort of comedy that kills my vibe”.
Focussing on himself, Kumar stated “I’ve always liked comedy that can make something funny out of unfunny ingredients”. While using current events as comedic fuel, he emphasises that it’s not necessary for all comedy to be political or attempting anything other than a person on stage making jokes. The variety of comedy is part of its charm, stating “I think it’s really funny that me and Tim Vine have the same job”, his iconic quick-fire one-liners. However, he ensured “neither is more legitimate than the other”.
With the current social, political and environmental state of the world, comedy is an easy and beloved respite. I asked whether comedians have a sense of responsibility to reflect societal events, personal experiences and opinions within their work, to which Kumar responded it is foundational but foundational to one aspect of comedy. He agreed that comedy at its core is a necessary release valve for societal pressures, which can “transport you to another place” on a frustrating or overwhelming day.
However, comedy is an effective way to “introduce difficult conversations to create more engagement” and “can bring these issues to the table in a way that is easier for people to consume”, in the way that Gen Z is more likely to be involved in news and world politics through TikToks rather than picking up a newspaper.
The part of the show’s description that stuck out to me the most is Kumar’s navigation of “the emotional sensation of being a British Indian man who isn’t going to vote for a British Indian Prime Minister”. I asked him if comedy is a way for him to channel events that affect him, emotionally or mentally, a way of processing. For Kumar, it’s “a way to make sense of my own emotions around these serious subjects” and a large part of coming to terms with new stories and his opinions surrounding them.
Even with this personal need to include such serious events in his work, he reflected “there’s definitely times on stage when you’re like, why can’t you just do some jokes about airplane food or something”.
The complications of creating a stand-up show around struggles and upsetting subjects is difficult to conquer, especially in regards to creating more space in media for these events and people who don’t necessarily deserve such attention. Kumar explained that he “wrestles all the time” with creating air time for people who do not align with him morally or politically, and accidentally feeding their public image in a way that assists them. He admitted that journalists had asked him previously if he was pleased that Trump was back in office, presumably as this would fuel some of his material. “No, of course I’m not” is his response.
Kumar went on to elaborate on the importance of using upsetting events in his shows, as the audience can find a sense of community in having these same fears and feelings. Something is happening in the audience which has “nothing to do with me”, and realising the audience is part of a community together is an “incidental by-product of you standing on stage and telling jokes, it’s not something I can take credit for”.
Of course, where better to find community in Manchester’s own? With his upcoming show in Aviva Studios, Kumar mentioned his love for Manchester, especially Idle Hands and Vinyl Exchange: “doing the show is a great excuse to revisit the places I love”.
“Do you ever struggle navigating the boundary in comedy between entertainment and politics?” I asked as our call concluded. Kumar simply replied that his job is ‘jokes’, not “to just read an undergrad essay on politics”.
Tickets are available now for Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe at Aviva Studios.