Bilal Zafar
- English
- Actor, writer and stand-up comedian
Press clippings Page 7
Ten most controversial acts at Edinburgh Fringe 2016
Comedy on TV and in the clubs is safe and inoffensive. Comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe is no different, because most of the shows don't exist for your benefit. They're being staged in the hopes of grabbing the attention of industry bigwigs and broadcasters. So, it makes sense to be as bland and agreeable as possible, because that's what the real target audience - i.e. people who can help your showbiz career - seem to be looking for. However, not everyone at the Fringe is pandering. Not everyone is desperate to be liked and accepted. And provocative performers haven't gone extinct just yet. If you want politically incorrect jokes, to be taken out of your comfort zone, or to hear someone challenge social orthodoxies, then here's ten acts I'd recommend you go and see at Edinburgh Fringe 2016. If you're a bit of a pussy, though, then best avoid all of these.
Jay Islaam, The Huffington Post, 9th August 2016Five more go on about race
Five more non-white standups on race.
Claire Sawers, The Herald, 30th July 2016I talk to: Bilal Zafar
Fresh from winning the 2016 New Act of the Year award, comedian Bilal Zafar has picked the perfect time to brings his debut show Cakes to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Elliot Gonzalez, I Talk Telly, 29th July 2016Ten award-winning comics at the Fringe
A total of 65 comedy shows this Fringe use the phrase 'award-winning', though most fail to mention exactly what award they've won. Employee Of The Month? The figure shows what a plethora of comedy accolades there are out there. That's way more, even, than the 17 shows which say they are 'hotly', 'highly' or 'much' anticipated... So here's our pick of those award-winning acts.
Chortle, 28th July 2016Bilal Zafar preview
Preview of Bilal Zafar.
Edinburgh Festivals, 25th July 2016Edinburgh Fringe 2016: best food shows
From cake-inspired stand-up to whisky-based personality tests, we round up the best Edinburgh Fringe shows for food and drink fans...
Peter Simpson, The Skinny, 19th July 2016Tackling race head on
Comedians have often suffered--and joked about--prejudice, bigotry, and xenophobia. Jay Richardson speaks to the standups for whom race jokes are about the real thing.
Jay Richardson, Fest Mag, 16th July 2016Edinburgh Fringe preview: Bilal Zafar
I spotted the very talented Bilal Zafar about a year ago and earlier this year he won the New Act of the Year competition, which is the most prestigious of the umpteen newbie competitions you can enter.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 18th June 2016Bilal Zafar tackles anti-Muslim hate one joke at a time
Bilal Zafar, a British Pakistani who tweets @zafarcakes - reference to British 'jaffacakes' - landed in an online controversy in September last year when #boycottmuslimbusinesses was trending after his twitter handle was mistaken for a Muslim cake shop. Since that episode, which resulted in some islamophobic comments and even lead to an online petition against his fictional cake shop, Zafar has been successfully entertaining audiences mocking the islamophobic trolls.
The Express Tribune, 28th October 2015