​

Sajeela is a comedian, compére, writer and actor.

Since 2006 she has performed stand-up across the UK and abroad, including taking shows to the Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, Manchester, Buxton and Brighton fringes as well as performing at the Prague & Montreal 'Just for Laughs' festival.

​

STAND-UP

Sajeela has experience of performing in front of a variety of crowds at clubs, corporate and private events. She has also been known to perform stand-up in unusual places; on a moving bus around Edinburgh, such as a man-made beach in the middle of Birmingham town centre and on a punt at the Cambridge Festival (the first comic to have ever done so). She was also part of a group of comics to take the first comedy tour around the Scilly Isles.

​

Sajeela infamously starred in Brendon Burns’ 2007 ‘So I Suppose This is Offensive’ show which went on to win the IF.Comedy Award (formerly Perrier). This show saw her playing to packed houses abroad and in UK venues such as the Pleasance Grand Edinburgh, The Garrick Theatre, The Soho Arts Theatre and the Duchess Theatre where the DVD of the show was recorded. Her performance was praised by critics and audiences alike.

‘The most jaw-droppingly awkward, painful, yet ultimately rewarding piece of stand-up we’ve ever seen’ ★★★★★ (Time Out Review of DVD)

‘Sajeela and Steve, the real stars of the show’ (Brendon Burns)

 

TV and RADIO

Sajeela was commissioned to write and perform a series of four comedy monologues for BBC Radio Scotland around the theme of holidays and recently wrote for a Muslim/Jewish collaborative sketch pilot for BBC Radio 4 comedy. She stars in a new multi-faith Muslim/Catholic family sitcom ‘Mixing It’ alongside Janey Godley and Sanjeev Kohli who also wrote the sitcom on BBCRadio Scotland.

Sajeela is a regular pundit on BBC London 94.9, BBC Asian Network, BBC Surrey, BBC Sussex, LBC and was featured on Clive Anderson's BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends, Radio 4's Saturday Live, BBC Radio 2 Clare Balding's 'Good morning Sunday', BBC Scotland Kaye Adams show and more.

*She has appeared on Comedy Central, ITV2’s Comedy Cuts and ITV's 'The Big Debate' with Nina Hossain.

 

VIRAL

Sajeela also contributed to and appears in the UK’s first ever daily viral topical comedy show, 'BRITAIN’S GOT PEOPLE' — brainchild of Bafta Award winner Dave Cohen.

Chosen as Radio Times Website of the Week -  ‘masterpiece’.

 

SKETCHES

Sajeela has written and performed sketches for The Comedy Factory, Muju – a Muslim-Jewish theatre collective – and was one half of the only British Asian female sketch duo in the UK – Asian Provocateurs, who had a successful sell-out run with their debut show 'Asian Provocateurs: Rule Britannia!' at the Edinburgh Fringe, London’s Tara Arts Theatre and at the Brighton Fringe.

'Rule Britannia' was listed by The Sunday Times as one of the Top 5 shows to see at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011 and Featured on BBC’s Meera Syal Asian Comedy show.

‘Sajeela is a skilled comic actress with a keen eye for female characters, whose spoofs and skits bring TV’s Smack the Pony to mind’ (The Skinny)

 

MC/HOSTING

A much in demand, popular and competent MC and compére, Sajeela regularly hosts a variety of corporate & private events, as well as circuit club gigs. Managing all types of audiences with skill, ease and charm. She is resident compere at her own Chortle Award-winning comedy club, The 'Comedy Cottage' in Redhill.

‘The woman is simply a treasure. Magnetic, lovable and enormously witty, she’s like Claire Rayner scripted by Kenneth Williams’ (The Spectator)

‘Sajeela Kershi is a warm, nurturing and inclusive MC, within minutes she has the audience eating out of her hand’ (Surrey Mirror)

‘Very funny and very delectable’(Latest7)

‘She’ll flirt with you and remember it and come back to remind you at just the right moment, without ever making you feel uncomfortable’ (The Stage)

 

STAND-UP SHOWS

As a stand-up Sajeela has written and performed in a series of sell-out shows:

​

• Shallow Halal Brighton, Buxton, Edinburgh, Manchester, London West End, Prague Fringe.

• Funny Fillies Edinburgh, Brighton and Manchester Fringe (2010 to 2014)

• Always Miss Moneypenny Brighton Fringe (2013)

• Regret-Me-Nots! Brighton (2012)

• 'Ethnic the Musical' Brighton (2010)

• Bitch Got Owned! Brighton (2010), Edinburgh (2009)

• Spirits of the Fringe Edinburgh (2009)

• Race/Off Edinburgh (2008)

• Asian Invasion Edinburgh (2007)

• Pretty Dirty Things Edinburgh (2007)

 

IMMIGRANT DIARIES

Winner of Argus Angel Award for Artistic Excellence (2015) and nominated Brighton & Hove Independent best home grown talent. Sajeela has devised, produced and curated hit 5* storytelling show, Immigrant Diaries which has toured to sell out shows at the Brighton & Manchester Fringe as well as Hawth Theatre, Crawley leading to critically acclaimed sell-out shows at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Alchemy Festival in May 2014. The show then went on to be part of the Royal Festival Hall's 'Changing Britain' festival, charting the past 70years in British History, including the politics and contribution made by Immigrants and again at the House of Lords where Sajeela was asked to perform a faith version of the show. 'Immigrant Diaries' has been described as 'a positive antidote to all the negative anti immigration/refugee rhetoric'.

​

‘Intelligent, inspiring and empowering’ ★★★★★(CultureVulture) "This show should be made available on prescription" ★★★★★ (The Argus) "Funny, entertaining, spot on, Catch it at all costs -this show is a sure fire hit and is sure to take Edinburgh by storm" ★★★★★ (Remotegoat) "Immigrant Diaries’ is a triumphant and life affirming success, nothing short of a fantastic evening in the presence of fascinating and potent performers. This show deserves a packed house, rave reviews and many returns to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival" ★★★★★ (Fresh Fringe)

"Utterly genuine....touching and informative...Immigrant Diaries plays with the boundaries of stand-up comedy" ★★★★ (A younger theatre) ‘A genius idea for a show....hilariously entertaining’ ★★★★(Latest7)

‘Hilarious, heart-warming and truly inspirational, Immigrant Diaries is a must-see and never forget’ ★★★★ (Broadway Baby)

“An interesting, enlightening and lovely evening".★★★★ (LondonTheatre1.com)

"Storytelling at its loveliest....The less you feel like an immigrant the more you need to see this show, it will give you a fresh perspective" (TheatreFullStop)

 

PRESS Two of Sajeela’s jokes featured in The Independent’s Top 100 jokes of the Fringe Aug 2012 In addition two of her jokes also appeared in The Top 50 Fringe Jokes in the ‘i’ Londonist pick of top 5 comics to see at the fringe (Aug 2015) Skinny's Pick of top 5 Comedy Shows to see (for Immigrant Diaries Aug 2015), Kate Copstick's (The Scotsman) recommended shows to see at the fringe (for both Immigrant Diaries & Shallow Halal 2015).

Huffington Post also picked Sajeela as one of the Top 50 Funny Women to follow on Twitter Sep 2012.

So why not follow her? @SajeelaKershi.

 

​