Comedian Mohammed Magdi talks Brown Mirror
Photograph: courtesy Kung Fu Komedy
Whether you recognise him from shows at Kung Fu Komedy, his cameo appearances in Mamahuhu or loitering on the Kartel rooftop, Egyptian comedian Mohammed Magdi is bringing his touring show Brown Mirror (see what he did there?) to Shanghai this Saturday 28.
Magdi started performing at KFK five years ago and has gone on to become one of Shanghai's most successful comedians, performing in Dubai last November for Comedy Central Arabia, winning the Bangkok International Comedy Festival last year and placing as first runner-up in the inaugural China International Comedy Festival in 2016.
He's recently been touring Asia with his latest headline show and will be performing it this Saturday at 8.30pm at KFK. We chatted with him ahead of the Shanghai leg of his tour. You can read the interview and catch a glimpse of him in action below. Just don't tell him to shave his beard...
Hecklers beware
Hi Mohammed, how’s the tour been going?
Touring has been great. Quite exhausting but I have been making the most out of it. I now have favourite spots at almost every airport around Asia. The shows have been so much fun.
Where have you been?
I started in Singapore then went to Seoul, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Beijing. I have Shanghai this weekend and Bangkok end of next month, then a few more dates later in the year.
Have you had a standout show of the tour so far?
There was something weird at almost every show. At one of the shows in Seoul, the mic kept cutting off so I abandoned it and started projecting to a room of about 70 people, it looked like I was giving football coach-style motivational speech to a team of drunk expats. In Beijing, there was a couple sitting in the middle of the crowd hardcore making out for the entire show. I called them out eventually.
You got caught up in a police raid after your show in Beijing, tell us what that was like.
In the beginning we thought we were all getting kidnapped by a gang! The doors were locked and we were all asked to line up to give pee samples in front of a camera. I don't know if you've ever had to pee in front of a camera with 40 people cheering you on, but let me tell you, it's not as fun as you'd think.
Photograph: courtesy Mohammed Magdi
How different is it performing the show outside of China? Do you have to change any jokes?
Performing outside China forces you to adapt your material and write a lot of stuff that's more 'universal'. I think it's a bit of a problem with the China-based comics, we do a lot of local references and we go abroad, and surprisingly no one knows what an ayi is. So, it's definitely a good learning experience. I had to change a lot of China material or ditch it altogether.
You performed on Comedy Central Arabia, how was that experience and how did it come about?
A friend of mine who's based in Dubai met the producers of Comedy Central Arabia and recommended me. It was super fun and also my first time at a full-on TV scale production. It's very different from a regular show, you have to keep looking at the camera, the director stops you sometimes halfway through a joke and asks you to start over. Makeup people rush over and fix your hair! Was pretty surreal. The episode I shot airs this December so I'm really looking forward to seeing the final product.
Who are your comedy heroes?
I grew up watching Letterman and Eddie Murphy, then later on Louis CK and Jim Jeffries. I love watching Bill Burr and Norm McDonald.
Who are the best comedians you’ve performed with?
That's a tough one, I love performing with Paul Ogata, his energy and crowd work is always refreshing and super entertaining. Mark Normand was one of the best acts I have seen live recently.
KFK Spotlight: Mohammed Magdi – Brown Mirror
Kung Fu Komedy Club, Fourth Floor, 1 Xiangyang Bei Lu, near Julu Lu. Sat 28. 8.30pm-10pm. 70RMB; 50RMB (presale).
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