Neurodiverse Comedy Night

The show promo image of a brain hooked up to electrodes. The text reads: "Neurodiverse Comedy Night, Tuesday 29th March, 7.30pm, The Fringe Bar, produced by Creatif Kate. Starring: Jules Daniel, Sarah Jordan Scott, Kieran Timms, Susan Williams and more!"

We spoke to two of the show's participants to find out more - Sarah Jordan Scott and Advait Kirtikar.

Neurodiverse Comedy Night

• The Fringe Bar
• 26 Allen Street, Wellington
• Tuesday 29 March 2022
• 7:30pm – 9:15pm 

Sarah Jordan Scott

This makes me sound like a raging egomaniac but I went to a Raw comedy night and some of the acts were so bad I thought if they can do it I can too! 

How would you describe your comedy style? What do you talk about?

Self deprecating, observational comedy. I talk a lot about my autism. I’ve found there are a lot of offensive stereotypes about people with autism so I like to have fun with those and play into them a bit. I’ve had some people say that it isn’t positive representation but in my eyes, I didn’t ask to be born autistic and I’ll do whatever I want with it thanks. 

Do you have a job outside of comedy (that you want to talk about) or is this your main focus?

I’m a construction lawyer but I’m finishing my biomedical science degree then going on to study postgrad forensic science. It's messy. 

Having the show run to schedule and minimal last minute line up changes. Like lots of autistic people, I feel best when my schedule is predictable and doesn’t change heaps. It helps me orient myself before the show and manage how much preparation I need to do.  In terms of attending gigs where I’m not performing, the biggest thing issue can be sound ie when the mic isn’t levelled well and it’s far too loud. 

The show that you’re promoting right now is a Neurodiverse Comedy Night – how did you get involved in that? What are the advantages of working with a whole neurodiverse group?

I am very lucky to have worked with Creatif Kate in the past. We came up with the idea at a meeting one day and she championed the production and organisation of it and I was very happy to be on the line up. 

The advantages of working with neurodiverse comics is that I get to watch different interpretations of peoples experiences, some of which are really similar to my own. It’s a great learning experience!

Are there more doors or wheels in the world? My answer  would be wheels and anyone who thinks different can go eat glass. 

I know you’re probably tired of people asking you to tell them a joke when they find out you’re a comedian but… can you tell us a (government organisation’s website appropriate) joke?

I watched Cats the movie last weekend and I was really disappointed because it was terrible AND it has a budget of $130 million. What a waste, that money could have been used on actual stray cats, so many of them.. we could have euthanised so many stray cats. 

Advait Kirtikar

How did you get into comedy in the first place?

I was at the rock climbing gym and the radio randomly played a clip from Aziz Ansari's album. I thought he was very funny and looked him up online which started my obsession with comedy. I started watching as much comedy of his as I could find and then quickly discovered many different comedians with varying styles and viewpoints.

Watching so much comedy meant the comedic way of thinking was getting in my head and I started coming up with jokes of my own. I wrote some of them down but didn't know if I'd ever tell them on stage.

The comedian that inspired me to try it myself was Mitch Hedberg. When I saw his special he seemed nervous on stage but still killed it despite his apparent anxiety. I thought if he can do it despite his nerves maybe I could do it too.

I took a chance to perform at a Raw Comedy Quest heat in Christchurch in early 2015. It’s been 7 years and I’ve got that itch. I’m still itching to do it!

How would you describe your comedy style? What do you talk about?

My comedy has been described as "uniquely beautiful" by Art Murmurs and "super dry with killer timing [that’s] punching up [and] going for the jugular” by The Hook. I’d agree with that and would add that my comedy style is high brow, low energy. It’s intelligent (borderline pretentious) and delivered with subtlety.

I talk about whatever I want to talk about based on what’s happening in my life or how I'm feeling. That means sometimes I do silly puns, other times I do witty observations and occasionally I do funny stories.

Do you have a job outside of comedy (that you want to talk about) or is this your main focus?

I'm an actuary by day, and a stand up by night.

Comedy is my main focus, my special interest if you will, but it doesn't pay the bills. Laughter is the best medicine but it isn’t the best currency!

I am planning my escape from my day job (they won’t read this), but it's going to be like Shawshank Redemption. It'll take me years and will probably be more of a Shawshank Retirement.

A lot of being a comic would involve attending other gigs – what can make those a better & more accessible experience for you?

Not an issue for me personally. If I want to go to a gig I’ll go.

The show that you’re promoting right now is a Neurodiverse Comedy Night – how did you get involved in that? What are the advantages of working with a whole neurodiverse group?

I got asked to do it because I’m neurodiverse and I said "Yes".

The advantage is that I don't have to explain I'm on the spectrum since it's already known. The context is already set so I can talk about myself and my life and there's a common understanding about why I'm doing and saying the things I do.

What question haven’t I asked you that you’d like to answer?

"What other comedy projects are you working on?"

I’ve written a new show, The Awkward Indian Guy Act, which I plan to take to festivals all around NZ.

I’ve already done nights in Christchurch and Napier which went well. I was “very good, funny, clever and seamless” according to an audience member at my Napier show.

I’m going to the Dunedin Fringe while I write this.

The show is about who I am - The Awkward Indian Guy Act. I’m;

• Awkward by neurology.
• Indian by ethnicity.
• Guy by anatomy.

I’m trying to fit in NZ as an Autistic South Asian Man.

The Act is me distilled down to my purest form and it has the outside view for the inside jokes.

An image of Advait on stage with the words "Advait Kirtikar is The Awkward Indian Guy Act"

I know you’re probably tired of people asking you to tell them a joke when they find out you’re a comedian but… can you tell us a (government organisation’s website appropriate) joke?

It is weird that people ask me to tell them a joke when they find out I’m a comedian. This is the only hobby you get that for. I also do rock climbing but no one has ever said, “Oh… you’re a rock climber… Why don’t you climb this wall over here?”

But here’s a joke:

Advait on stage with the words "I'm like Rainman, but not as extreme.... Drizzleman!"

• The Fringe Bar
• 26 Allen Street, Wellington
• Tuesday 29 March 2022
• 7:30pm – 9:15pm