Hardeep Singh Kohli talks about ‘Indian Takeaway’, coming up at Tara Arts
'Good food is about good conversation and good times. A meal eaten in silence would be horrible, no matter how good the food. It's only natural that food be served with chat, the funnier the better!'
Hardeep Singh Kohli is a man with many talents - a Bafta winner, a Celebrity Chef contestant, a BBC One Show presenter, a writer and last but not least, a very funny man! He is about to bring his Edinburgh Fringe show Indian Takeaway to Tara Arts in Earlsfield, a comedy show involving a crowdsourced takeaway and a race to cook a delicious meal while dishing out some hilarious comedy before the moped arrives, then a home cooked meal versus takeaway audience decider! We thought we would ask the comedian-come-chef some food-related questions to find out more about the show, his different projects and his exciting new venture for 2012...
London Calling: Where do you find the flavour for your comedy and theatre shows?
Hardeep Singh: I suppose all my shows draw on either the autobiographical elements of my life (growing up in Glasgow and falling in love with food) or certain themes that I resonate with: family, love and food. I like telling stories so hopefully there is plenty to say!
LC: What ‘Indian Takeaway’ evening had a fine vintage? Any memorable disasters/ fires/ delivery moped crashes?
HS: My audiences are ever vigilant, often warning me of a potential spillage/boiling over moment. I have over-salted a curry once but luckily managed to pile a load of potatoes in which are a well known way of drawing salt out of any liquor. Other than that I have been very lucky! I'm sure I have just hexed it!
LC: Tell us more about your Tara Arts Christmas show, Bollywood Cinderella – how did you whip up a fusion of the hearty familiar warmth of panto and the hot spice of Bollywood?
HS: I was very lucky to be guided by Jatinder Verma at Tara Arts who managed the project brilliantly. Bollywood and panto have SO much in common, it is such a good fit. Panto has tradition at its very heart and for all its glitz and glamour, so does Bollywood. The boy will get the girl, eventually!
LC: How do you fold in good food and comedy?
HS: Good food is about good conversation and good times. A meal eaten in silence would be horrible, no matter how good the food. So it's only natural that food be served with chat, the funnier the better!
LC: How do you manage all the fingers in all the pies – such as TV, theatre, comedy, writing, cooking?
HS: I love working. As long as the projects I am working on are inspiring the medium doesn't matter. I am concentrarting more on food this year though! My restaurant will open in East London this summer so that will definitely be the main focus of the year.
LC: Is writing for theatre and TV like chalk and cheese or chips and cheese?
HS: Writing is writing. It's a joy. The medium doesn't matter so much as much as one might think. One still has to communicate a story and that's the most important thing. Having said that, writing for theatre is more fun since there is significantly less messing about and interference than with TV. In theatre the writer is king. In TV we are a necessary evil!
LC: If one of your projects were your ‘last meal’, which would you pick and why?
HS: My new restaurant, rather aptly!
LC: What is on the menu for 2012?
HS: A holiday, lots more food related work, a couple of new shows for Tara Arts and some more radio work.
'Indian Takeaway' is on at Tara Arts from the 17th - 18th February; you can book tickets here.
Find out more about Hardeep on his website here.
Author: Katie Moritz
