“Charismatic, high-energy and wonderfully sassy, Adi is a natural storyteller whose warmth and wit shine throughout.”
Amsterdam-based comedian Adi Parmar makes his Fringe debut with the stellar Sunny Boy, which makes humorous observations on queer coming of age, family expectations and the tension between honesty and safety. Adi soars as a truly illuminating presence on stage, a warm and witty storyteller who has the Gilded Balloon Teviot audience in the palm of his hand for the full sixty-minute runtime.
Born into a traditional family in North India, straight-A student Adi shares his experience of coming to terms with his sexuality in an environment where such things were never spoken about. Detailing his early relationships, his romantic type and eventually moving to Amsterdam and finding love, Sunny Boy is a delightful introduction to Adi and his distinctive comedic style.
Adi amusingly shares his family’s desire for a son to carry the family bloodline on, with the comedian depicting the solemn and masculine God that his parents thought they were praying to, before revealing the true, sassy, Britney Spears-soundtracked deity that actually delivered him. The comedian reveals all about growing up as an only child, something that was hard for his two sisters. The performer details his straight-A grades and killer geography skills, as well as an indescribable crush on his geography teacher, something which he admits may have aided his obsessive knowledge of every capital city. Further detailing his queer adolescence, Adi later goes on to hilariously describe an accidental cruising encounter, using the analogy of cigarette smoking to avoid things getting “too vulgar.”
Adi showcases his quick wit and skill at crafting a story that is both touching and amusing when detailing his friendship-turned-romance with his university roommate. A hilarious story about Adi trying to play it cool when his roommate suggested watching Brokeback Mountain as a means of making a move sees the young man reply with the unintentionally most gay thing he could say: “Is that the one starring Anne Hathaway?” In depicting this, Adi explores the struggles of repressing relationships and performative heterosexuality as a means of avoiding homophobia, ensuring there’s emotional food-for-thought as well as laughs.
The comic manages to build upon the expert humour crafted throughout, with hilarious depictions of his romantic type, detailing that he finds nothing sexier than an older man with reading glasses and that his exes look like the board of a tech company. However, Sunny Boy finds much of its heart in detailing Adi’s new life in Amsterdam, where he is partnered with an older Dutch man with two young children. Adi brings a lightness and humour to these anecdotes, sharing the curiosities of Dutch culture.
Adi reveals the challenges and joys of welcoming two young children, contrasting modern parenting techniques with his own upbringing in India, spearheaded by a humorous anecdote about his childhood garden being invaded by a swarm of monkeys. Adi is a wonderful narrator, crafting rich and vivid depictions of those in his life, from his mother to his young family.
Sunny Boy is a truly apt name for this set, as the comedian radiates a warm joy and energy. Some light crowd interactions add some well-pitched but not overdone interactivity to the set, whilst showcasing Adi’s finesse and skill as a comedian working on his feet. The set is further brought to life by the use of some large photo prints showcasing the nearest and dearest in Adi’s life.
A breezy and hopeful show, Adi Parmar’s Sunny Boy is a true delight. Charismatic, high-energy and wonderfully sassy, Adi is a natural storyteller whose warmth and wit shine throughout, making this an engaging and heartfelt exploration of queer identity, self-acceptance and family love.
Adi Parmar: Sunny Boy plays at the Gilded Balloon Teviot’s Wee Room until August 31. Tickets are available here.
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