One of the most exciting political comedians in stand-up (New York Times), HARI KONDABOLU, is set to make a rare trip across the Atlantic to perform for two nights only at the Soho Theatre on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th December.
Raised in Queens and currently based in Brooklyn, HARI began performing stand-up whilst working as an immigrant-rights organiser in Seattle. Since attaining an MA in Human Rights at LSE, HARI has risen in prominence for performing socio-political material on topics including race, ethnicity, poverty, sexuality, gender and climate change and last year released his debut stand-up album Waiting for 2042, referencing the date the Census Bureau projected white Americans may be a statistical minority in the US.
Well known for his stand-up appearances on chat shows in the States, HARI has performed on programmes such as the Late Show with David Letterman ,Conan ,Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live at Gotham and JOHN OLIVER’S New York Standup Show. Beginning to establish himself in the UK, HARI has appeared on Russell Howard’s Good News, Live at the Electric (both BBC Three) and joined the panel on 8 out 10 Cats (Channel 4). Other US television credits include being showcased on an episode of Comedy Central Presents and being a correspondent and writing for the CHRIS ROCK (Saturday Night Live, Dogma, Madagascar) produced political comedy series Totally Biased with W. KAMAU BEL, during which BELL described HARI as “the comedy equivalent of a punk rock concert that breaks out at a human rights rally.”
A regular on the public radio, HARI has appeared on numerous shows and was recently interviewed by TERRY GROSS for NPR’s prestigious Fresh Air. He has also spoken on podcasts such as WTF with Marc Maron, You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes and Too Beautiful to Live with Luke Burbank.
On the live-circuit, HARI has performed to national and international audiences at festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Just for Laughs in (Montreal and Chicago), HBO Comedy Festival (Colorado), South by Southwest (Texas), Bumbershoot (Washington), Sasquatch (Washington) and the Aspen Ideas Festival (Colorado).
In the 2014-2015 Academic Year, HARI was awarded the acclaimed New York University’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute’s “Artist in Residence” position.
What the press has said about Hari:
“A brainy comedian who cuts through the polite talk around race and gender” NPR
“This incorrigibly smart, rising comic exhibits a duality in his act that doesn’t seem quite plausible: He’s both political and fun…and deals in calmly reasoned polemics.” Time Out NY
“Eviscerated Western hypocrisy with a verbal razor that had overtones of Lenny Bruce” The Seattle Times
“Your next favourite indie stand-up” Entertainment Weekly
“The comic has helped change the way race and class are talked about on TV.” Chicago Reader
“Socially and politically poignant material in a digestible, laid back delivery.” Laughspin
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Venue: Soho Theatre, Downstairs
Date: Fri 11th and Sat 12th December
Time: 9.30pm
Twitter & website: @harikondabolu / www.harikondabolu.com
For more information and press tickets, please contact: Victoria Wedderburn: [email protected] / 0207 598 7222
