Comedy Festival review: Sameena Zehra's show Arsebiscuits evolves into a charismatic representation of comedy and storytelling

Sameena Zehra's show Arsebiscuits entertained many at New Zealand Comedy Fest. Photo / Facebook, Sameena Zehra

The title of Sameena Zehra's show Arsebiscuits, among other New Zealand Comedy Fest titles, is offbeat and jarring, yet light-hearted & honest; all terms accurately describing her hour-long performance.

With "Arse" and "Biscuit" serving as the x axis on a moral bell-curve, Zehra interlaces a variety of subjects judging them upon where they sit. The former being reserved for many political figures and certain ecological/biological disasters over the last, precisely, seven years.

Originating from Anglo-Indian heritage and spending much of her life in the UK, Sameena is a writer, director, blues singer, self-professed doodler and "Level Two chocolate taster".

Audiences are quick to become familiar with her perception of life, upbringing, and place in the world, accented fluently with stories reminiscent of friends, family and experiences' past.

"Nothing means anything" we're told at the start of the show, as she begins to describe the vastly different interpretations one can take from such a claim, from the Buddhist ("Nothing is Absolute"), to the Nihilist perspective. Her method of comedy is sharp and loaded when taken face value, but became warm in its humanity and wit as the performance progressed.

Not one to shy away from confrontational (albeit very necessary) social and political dialogue, Zeehra reminds us of lifes' perpetual collisions and dynamism, like that of Newtown's cradle. "Are we just cakes?" she asks when exploring the relationship between gender, beauty and being human.

Arsebiscuits evolves into a charismatic representation of comedy and storytelling, lightly sprinkled with teachings of "holding the line" and "nipping it in the bud".

For Zehra, what society continues to manifest and dismantle, politically or otherwise, shares the floor with tales of London's Underground, her choice of taxi drivers, and the differences in male and women serial killers.

True to Sammena's character, from "Ubuntu" to the "Arse-Biscuit Scale", audiences are entertained throughout; laughing at the venue and self-reflecting at the exit.

What: Sameena Zehra, Arsebiscuits
Where: Basement Theatre, May 13th-15th
• The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is under way from Tuesday, May 4 until May 23