As founder of Brown Women Comedy, Daizy Maan, pointed out at the start of the show, there are still very few People of Colour in the Sydney Comedy Festival line-up. Brown Women Comedy is, in part, aiming to begin to redress this imbalance by putting four comedians of South Asian background on stage for short, sharp sets about issues that touch upon the comedians’ experiences as Women of Colour, but also stories which are told with a sufficient level of accessibility that everyone can relate to them in some way.

Performing in the Riverside Theatres at Parramatta, the show was virtually sold-out, with a wide range of people coming to see the four comics on their final night before they moved to Moore Park. Niveditha Prakasam kicked off the show with discussion about experiences of racism and sex in Australia as compared to India and was considered and polished in her delivery. Her stories were relatable, and her punchlines were amusing. Taking the audience into her world and keeping them throughout the set, her performance was arguably the highlight of the show. 

Ramya Ramapriya followed up with a set about parenthood and this was also exceptionally well delivered, with well-constructed stories and assured delivery. With both Prakasam and Ramapriya coming from India for the show, Daizy Mann brought an Australian perspective to the night, with a set focussing on generational divides, social media and her experiences growing up in Australia. It was another great set, with highly accessible themes that had the audience in stitches. The night was rounded out by Guneet Kaur, who had a lighter delivery than the rest of the comedians on stage, which provided a nice contrast and ensured that the night finished strong. 

Unfortunately, the beginning of the show was disrupted by a heckler, which put the comedians in a very difficult position. Prakasam did a superb job of handling a tricky situation, continuing with her set over the heckling before Ramapriya, with the help of the audience, convinced the man to leave. There’s something quite sinister about a man disrupting one of the few spaces for Women of Colour (as acknowledged by Maan) in the industry and it was disappointing that the onus was placed upon the performers to deal with the situation. They handled it with the utmost grace, but it should never have come to that. 

Overall, there was a huge amount of talent on stage for this tightly constructed and superbly executed show. The comedy was clever and incisive, whilst also being pitched at a level of generality to ensure that everyone in the audience could relate. The performers are all at the top of their game and despite some untoward circumstances, delivered an absolutely first-class show. It will be interesting to see how the show continues to evolve for future iterations but as the show moves around regional NSW and Victoria in June and July, it is definitely worth seeing. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Brown Women Comedy tours nationally in 2025. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Peliza Media