Shaparak Khorsandi at Leicester Cathedral | Leicester Comedy Festival

Shaparak Khorsandi established herself as one of the UK’s finest comedians with her sell-out Edinburgh show, Asylum Speaker. Despite the basis for the show being her experiences as a child refugee fleeing Iran and terrorists attempting to M**der her father, Shaparak’s sensitive yet witty exploration of these events created an instant comedy smash hit.

It also lead to the publication of her childhood memoirs, “A Beginner’s Guide To Acting English“, her best-selling literary debut, described by the Scotsman as ‘filled with laughter, wonder and compassion’. Emma Thompson said “This very funny, acute book also made me cry”.

Shaparak went on to publish her first novel, Nina Is Not Ok, which was described by the Telegraph as ‘moving, funny and shocking’ and received tremendous acclaim from critics and readers alike.

Shaparak’s career has taken her to all corners of the globe. She has appeared on countless TV & Radio shows, including: Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here, Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, MasterChef, Have I Got News For You, QI, Pointless Celebrities, Question Time and Just a Minute, as well as her own show, Shaparak Talk.

Shaparak will be supported by Esther Manito, who won the Best Show Award at the 2021 Leicester Comedy Festival. Esther began her stand-up career in 2016 while on maternity leave from teaching. In her first year, she gained recognition by being heard on the BBC Radio 4 New Comedy Awards and became a finalist in the So You Think You're Funny Awards. Since then, she has become a regular on ITV’s Stand Up Sketch Show (Series 2-5) and appeared on BBC One's Live at the Apollo in 2021. Additionally, Esther has featured on shows like Hypothetical (Dave), Comedy Central Live, and ITV's Celebrity Pointless.

Recently, she completed her first tour with her third hour Hell Hath No Fury, which received rave reviews from various publications, including The Skinny and The Evening Standard, with Radio Times noting, “At times it’s like Victoria Wood has taken the mic.”

Doors will open an hour before the show starts. There will be a bar to purchase refreshments and toilets are available on site. Seats are unassigned and will be on a first come first serve basis within each band.

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Host or Publisher Leicester Cathedral