Abby Govindan recently made the Forbes 30 Under 30 Hollywood and Entertainment list, and so you’d be forgiven for thinking that I had high expectations going into this show. And as Forbes promised, she was an absolute joy to watch and the perfect way to spend my Saturday night. Her comedy is political and explicitly left-wing, combined with intriguing storytelling that kept the audience laughing throughout the set.
Proudly Indian American, Govindan made her background a key part of the show, such as exploring arranged marriages and patriarchal pressure in Indian families. However, she balanced these heavy topics with genuine jokes that allowed the audience to feel at ease. The representation of a young South Asian woman making her Fringe debut should not go unmentioned: this show did not address the barriers she has faced explicitly, but demonstrates that Govindan more than deserves her place on the comedy circuit. I also particularly appreciated that she did not negate, diminish, or tone down her background. If we can’t laugh and understand our cultures, how are we meant to continue to honour them?
This show was politically aware and relevant whilst not being irreverent – a very hard task to balance at the Fringe. From making a joke out of hating San Francisco to aptly critiquing it for being inhuman, money-fuelled, and perpetuating AI data centres, Govindan’s set was both grounded and purposefully satirical.
Similarly, the breadth of material within this set was extensive: from dating culture commentaries to prank Tweets, audiences will find themselves immersed in Abby’s world. Whilst this could seem USA-centric, I loved how cohesive the set felt given the range of topics covered, such as when she explained the “Forbes 30 Under 30 to federal prison pipeline” or analysed the pros and cons of dating people of different races.
This set expertly balanced finding the humour in Indian American culture with fresh Gen-Z modernity. I came away feeling inspired, having watched one of the best Fringe shows I have seen so far.
Abby Govindan: Pushing 30 is running until 30 August at Baby Grand, Pleasance. Buy tickets here.
Image provided to The Student as press material.
