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Nazeem Hussain: Hussain That?

  • Comedy, Stand Up
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Nazeem Hussain stands in front of a yellow floral wall with a cup of tea
Photograph: MICF
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Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

The 'I'm a Celeb' survivor offers razor-sharp takes and his usual funny schtick

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! survivor Nazeem Hussain knows a thing or two about travel opportunities taking a turn for the worst. If it’s not eating maggots in the jungle for votes, it’s facing down passport control agents determined to out him as a would-be terrorist in literally any American airport. So irrepressible is his gift for the gab that he genuinely has a tough time, whenever travelling there for a gig, simply answering no to their ludicrous line of questioning. But while comic deflection is a powerful tool, it’s not necessarily the best approach when you wind up being interrogated by Homeland Security for four hours straight. 

His misfortune is our awkward gain. One of Australia’s most gifted comedians, Hussain has made a household name for himself poking holes in racist trolls ever since he first teamed up with Aamer Rahman in double act Fear of a Brown Planet. His solo career has skyrocketed, and his charmingly snappy repertoire works on two levels. POC audience members will undoubtedly identify all too well, while the rest of us are forced to sit in the uncomfortable hilarity of our laughter. 

Raised in Melbourne, Hussain also shares a hilarious aside about getting busted trying and failing to use a bit of privilege while touring his parents’ home country Sri Lanka. This knack for self-deprecation, and his evident love for his mum, make him winning company to spend an hour with. There’s a razor-sharp crack at Alec Baldwin, a winning dig at the Will Smith/Chris Rock smackdown, and a roasting in store for the sort of ‘freedom fighters’ who proliferated during lockdown. If Hussain That? isn’t quite as tight as previous years’ sets, you can forgive him. He’s just been blessed with a brand-new bub and is seriously sleep-deprived, so we’re fortunate to have him at all. 

This show was reviewed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022. 

Stephen A Russell
Written by
Stephen A Russell

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