Shazia Mirza is a Pakistani-British Muslim stand-up comic from Birmingham known for her straight-faced one-liners. She also writes a regular column for the Guardian.

“My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that’s what it says on my pilot’s licence.”



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On the Muslim sense of humour. (YouTube, 01:50)

Andi Osho is a London-born Nigerian-British actor-turned-stand-up-comic. Her warm, engaging style and zeitgeist-tapping jokes have won her plaudits and a semi-regular guest spot on the popular BBC show Mock the Week.



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On Nigerian names (YouTube, 02:10)
At the Edinburgh Comedy Fest 2011 (YouTube, 05:49)

Opening this week’s theme, Comedians, is Shappi Khorsandi, British-Iranian stand-up comic. Her family fled Iran after a satirical poem published by her father, Hadi Khorsandi (also a stand-up comic as well as a poet), following the Iranian revolution was perceived as critical of the new government. She has appeared on numerous British television shows, including Have I Got News for You, on BBC Radio 4 and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She tells hilarious anecdotes about race relations in Britain.



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On political correctness (audio only) for the Secret Policemen’s Ball 2008 (YouTube, 02:10)
At the Edinburgh Comedy Fest 2011 (YouTube, 04:03. Don’t miss the Tube anecdote.)

I remember her best from In Living Color, on which she was side-splittingly funny as the myriad characters she invented and caricatured. Comedienne, actor and activist.



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T’Keyah comedy reel
T’Keyah as her caricature LaShawn