Who is Gauri B? at Brown Women Comedy

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Posted 2024-04-11 by Jen ⇒ follow

Thu 11 Apr 2024 - Sun 21 Apr 2024

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Images - Gauri B

I attended Brown Women Comedy on Opening Night, and amidst the talented comedians, one stood out for me as she had the audience rolling in the aisles from start to finish of her set. I want to say something cool like 'the man from Berlin' - like the title of a movie but this is Gauri B , from Berlin. She flew in to perform at Brown Women Comedy for her first time ever in Australia, and is on stage every night of the show till the end of performances on Sunday 21 April, 2024, which incidentally is when the comedy festival comes to a close, so be sure to check out the website for all other comedic performances before end of festival. For bookings to the wonderful Brown Women Comedy, see here . Meet the young, attractive female young guns of comedy as they 'bring it' to the stage that at times will make you laugh your head off, and maybe even make you cringe a little. If you're a prude about the subject of sex, take note that this show contains occasional coarse language and political, religious or racial themes. If you're enamoured by Gauri B like I was, after the show, you might want to know more about her. I had the chance to have a conversation with her, so wonder no more. I'd like to say 'thank you Gauri' for spending this time with me.

Charismatic and cute on stage, yet fierce, with a strong presence, meet Gauri B. Here are snippets gleaned from the conversation/Q&A we had. Gauri has always loved watching standup comedy, and it was a ritual with her family when they gathered to watch movies and sitcoms of the comedic genre. These are the fond memories she holds of her family - her parents, her grandparents - laughing together till they were gasping for air, tears rolling down their eyes. She loved her mum's laugh the best, and to date, making mum laugh is still one of her favourite things to do. Growing up, she realised she was the funny one at school, making her friends laugh. Having been introduced to standup by her sister on YouTube, she was fascinated. She remembers adding 'mmm maybe I should be a standup comedian' after cracking a joke, but didn't think she meant it at the time. Perhaps it was upcoming events casting shadows.

Gauri recalls how she got into comedy was a little unorthodox. She was around 21-22 years of age, completing an architecture internship in Munich, Germany. Her friend and mentor Shabnoor Shah invited her to a women's empowerment workshop after work. Gauri declined at first but was swayed by the free food and drinks on offer. One of the tasks of the workshop was to get on stage and talk about a topic for 5 minutes. Gauri's topic was her biggest fear, and it happened to be tall people. Understandable as Gauri is quite petite. To her complete surprise, the whole room erupted with laughter and didn't stop until the very last minute. Gauri likes to think of it as her first standup experience. She did what came natural to her. She read the room and came up with a relatable yet specific premise, which turned out to be a stint of standup improv comedy on the spot. The man conducting the workshop, a standup comedian himself (ironic) told her in no uncertain terms that she was a natural, had great stage presence, and that it was obvious she was having fun being a comedian and should look into it, as being a natural in standup comedy is gold. Not quite sure if architecture was her future, and at a stage in life where she was still working at discovering what she wanted to do, Gauri jumped feet first, and here we are, four years later.

Living in India till she was 21, Gauri didn't saunter into comedy at that time. Since she began, she has gained popularity in leaps and bounds and is currently on tour, having performed in 10 countries and 35 cities. As to the question as to why she went to Berlin - it was because it's one of the best places to do comedy in Europe. Having a German visa, it was an easy choice at the time, and Berlin is a good platform for a new comic who wants a lot of stage time, as 'open mic' events over there have at least 50 people in the audience. A rarity in other parts of the world, it was the perfect platform, and a great city for a new comedian to develop. However, it's a little tough for an English-speaking comedian as there are no agents or opportunities to do something bigger. Gauri feels she has hit the ceiling in Berlin, and is planning on moving to New York this year.

When asked how she goes about her craft, it's an easy answer. She tries to work on it every day, much like preparing for exams, when a big show turns up, she's ready at the drop of a hat. Open mics are definitely the way for Gauri to try out her material. Her inspiration comes from what's happening in her personal life and in society - combining the two. She's always planning new shows as it's how she makes a living, and also how she finds meaning in her life - 'as cringy as the latter might sound' she adds. She tries to write every day and has been a comedian long enough to recognise instantly which material is going to get a big laugh. Having said that, the strongest punchlines come to Gauri randomly while she's doing the dishes or taking a walk. She says, 'If you train your writing muscles every day, the subconscious does the work and eventually gives you what you've been working on when you are not thinking about it. Sometimes I am very surprised when something that I wrote gets a big laugh, it isn't that funny in my head but is funnier when I deliver it and the way I deliver it. Sometimes I write something that doesn't get a laugh but I believe it has potential so I work it out in a few shows so it gets a big laugh. I don't believe I am anywhere near the top of the ladder, but I am grateful to have had the little success I have had so far. And I would attribute it to, as cliche as it might sound - hard work, not giving up and not being afraid of taking risks.'

People generally think it's pretty cool when she tells them what she does for a living, and the people who make Guari laugh are her friends, favourite comedians, and her sister. When asked what her most memorable moment is, she believes it is yet to come. On the subject of hecklers, she doesn't lose her calm and shuts them down quickly, comedically, of course! The best and worst parts about being a comedian are the positive, having an impact, getting a point across and making people laugh. On the negative, the constant roller coaster of emotions after a show good or bad, and seeking validation from strangers. Still, it's not the worst thing in the world she says positively. If Gauri were not a comedian, she said she'd probably be an interior designer or a personal stylist. However, I'm so glad she chose comedy as she was born to perform. On the last question about whether she's funny or quite serious in real life, she loves to crack jokes with her close friends and family. However, she is a bit of an introvert and can appear serious to people who don't know her well. As far as jokes go, nothing is off limits for Gauri, as humour is also often a coping mechanism. She especially loves making jokes about things that are taboo, however, it does matter to her whose expense the joke is at. So for Gauri, it means punching up, not down.

I just want to repeat, do not miss Gauri and all the other talented comedians of Brown Women Comedy , so get booking. My review details the comedians that were on, on the night I attended, however, the lineup at the Trades Hall's Solidarity Hall, 54 Victoria St, Carlton changes, and you can search out the lineup here for the few remaining days left of the show. Luckily, another staple every night of the show is another of my favourites, Yasmin Kassim . I also adore Sashi Perera who is also on tour and heading for other states in Australia, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Amsterdam. Aside from Brown Women Comedy, Sashi also has her own show Boundaries . Another talent, Urvi Majumdar also has her own show - Burnt at the comedy festival. Be sure to check out these individual shows, and the combined talent at Brown Women Comedy and get to know these fierce women of comedy.