There are some people on this planet that are able to relay the nuances of our lives better than others, sometimes so well that their stories make us want to keel over laughing and burst into tears at the same time. One of those people is Ibrahim Akbar, known by his stage name Ibby – who has just announced his first foray into stand-up with a run of dates on the I Am tour this August. What originated as Ibby pointing the finger at the quirks of his ethnic family (his parents are migrants to Australia from Afghanistan) soon launched him into the viral stratosphere, where he’s found tens of thousands of people who relate to his takes on 21st-century life, whether they come from the background that he has or not. As he gears up for a highly-anticipated tour that’s already partially sold out months in advance, we caught up with Ibby to find out more about his journey to making others feel seen and heard.
You started out making comedy about dealing with the unnecessary academic pressure placed on you by your family. Have you seen anything change based on the comments that you get from your audience in terms of people thinking a different way?
Look, it’s a bit of give and take. Some audience members and some of the crowd, as it gets bigger and bigger, you realise that a lot of people have adapted their ways to a Western culture or another perspective. But, the majority of the time it stays the same and that’s why my comedy, quote-unquote, “stays relevant.” It’s because it is so relatable and people look at it and they’re like, “Wow, this is actually so relatable to me, whether it’s my parents or whether it’s my girlfriend or whether it’s my boyfriend,” whatever it is, it stays relatable. So I don’t think a lot of it will change at all. And that’s like a generational thing, it’s going to remain the same generation. There are little nuances that everyone has, but that stays the same over time. That’s why my comedy works though.
You have this Afghanistani cultural heritage, which a lot of Middle Eastern people are able to relate to as well. What of the audience members that don’t come from that cultural background that you represent?
That’s something that’s been on my mind constantly. I try to mix it up as much as I possibly can. So for instance, I’ll make videos that are more specific to a more niche market, but then on my stories, I’ll talk more about everything, my observations, my life, whatever else it may be. And that’s why I’m moving more in a direction of stand-up comedy rather than skit comedy. With stand-up comedy, I’m able to incorporate me as a whole, how I was raised, my experiences in life. My observations in everything will be incorporated as part of a stand-up routine rather than through skit comedy, because stand-up is across the board, it’s not specific to one person or another person. People can relate to stand-up comedy differently to how they can relate to a skit. That’s relatable, if that makes sense. So that’s what I’m trying to do now. And that’s why my direction up until now has been a certain way. But I’ve always known since I was a little kid that I was going to go down the path of stand-up comedy. It was just a matter of when, rather than if.
How are you approaching putting together the stand-up routine? Are you planning to pick on the audience?
It’s going to be a mix of everything. I think because my whole life, I’ve depended on comedy and humour and just making fun of people. And that’s something that is so good in Australia, that we constantly have good banter amongst our friends; you give it to your friend, they give it to you, you have a laugh. The whole friendship depends on being able to give it to one another. So in terms of picking on the audience and stuff, I’m definitely going to be picking on the audience…But in terms of writing it, it’s going to be a mix. So like I said, it’s going to be an incorporation of what I joke about online, my upbringing, my experiences in life, what I’ve seen, what I’m yet to learn, what I have learned, and mixing that all together. And that’s why the tour is called ‘I Am’, because it’s about me and who I am. So I hope people can look at it and be like, “We’re walking away from this now not only looking at the comedian that he is online, but we can understand him a bit better. Now we know where he’s come from. We know that his dad used to bash the shit out of him,” and stuff like that, you know?
Since you brought that up…It’s not all super funny. Some of it is really dark. How does it affect you to relive those memories?
Look, I think it affects everyone in some way or another. Maybe it affected me more when I was young, like the social pressures or the cultural pressures that come along with my family or whatever else, culture, whatever it may be. But in retrospect, when you look back at things, you can laugh at them. And that’s what’s been my approach to everything, to comedy or towards life in general, whether I’ve been in situations in my lowest points, in my highest points, I’ve always relied on humor and comedy to be my outlet. And that’s why I’ve tried to do things that sometimes aren’t touched upon enough or aren’t very well-known things, things that not a lot of people speak about, like the pressures of when you’re going through school and you get your ATAR result. And you know that if you get a certain score that a backhand is coming straight to your face, it was something that people can look at and be like, “Huh, that’s funny, but…At least someone else experiences what I go through.”
Everything happens for a reason, so I’ve tried not to be caught up too much in the moment. I know that whatever’s happening now is only happening now and tomorrow’s a new day.
That was a great answer.
I’m writing a poem basically. That was inspirational for me. Jesus, if you don’t walk away from this inspired, then I haven’t done my job.
Ibby Akbar ‘I Am’ Australian Tour
Wednesday, 18th AugustThe Forum, Melbourne (Early Show) SOLD OUT
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Wednesday, 18th AugustThe Forum, Melbourne (Late Show) SOLD OUT
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Friday, 20th August
The Forum, Melbourne (Early Show)
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Friday, 20th August
The Forum, Melbourne (Late Show) SOLD OUT
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Saturday, 21st August
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Wednesday, 25th AugustEnmore Theatre, Sydney SOLD OUT
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Thursday, 26th August
Regal Theatre, Perth
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Friday 27th August
Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Saturday 28th August
Star Theatre, Gold Coast
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
Thursday 2nd September
Princess Theatre, Brisbane
Tickets: Ibby Akbar
