Interview: Tez Ilyas on ‘Made in Britain’

Rising star Tez Ilyas heads out on his debut nationwide tour this spring. Tez’s second show Made in Britain sold out every performance at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe and garnered some warm reviews.
In Made in Britain, “Tez reveals that he is openly… Asian. British Asian as well, which means that because he’s Asian he loves a chicken tikka masala, whereas, because he’s British he… well, he loves a chicken tikka masala.

Tez has started to think on his British-ness, especially because over the last year he’s felt judged as both
a Muslim and an Asian. Tez feels stuck between a rock (the traditional cultural values of his family) and a hard place (the liberal champagne socialists he now hangs out with), when truth be told he doesn’t fit in
with either.

“A vital discussion of some of the most difficult issues facing this country” – Daily Telegraph

Here’s Tez on dual identities, outsider feelings and toast.

“Tez has started to think on his British-ness, especially because over the last year he’s felt judged as both a Muslim and an Asian.” Tell us more.
To me being British simply means your nationality, whether that was at birth, or one granted to you by the State. We live in a time now, where politicians and people are trying to project some deeper meaning on it, often based around their own biases and expectations, but being British means different things to different people. To some it’s Shakespeare, to others it’s louts singing xenophobic songs at German football stadia, but politicians selectively ignore the latter.

“Tez feels stuck between a rock (the traditional cultural values of his family) and a hard place (the liberal champagne socialists he now hangs out with), when truth be told he doesn’t fit in with either.” What keeps you from fitting in with each?
I think I’ve always felt like an outsider. I don’t like to plant my flag in any one place or territory, physically, politically or socially. So, where most people find comfort in their surroundings or community, I do sometimes feel a little alienated.

Sounds like the set is broadly more on the ‘state we’re in’ side of comedy, than the ‘funny thing happened to me yesterday’ side. More social commentary than nob jokes. Yes?
I guess you could say that. I just write what is true to me, what I feel passionate about and how I feel I can best make people laugh. To make that kind of comedy work, you have to know your subject matter well, workshop the hell out of it and not be scared to push audience’s boundaries.

How do you think being a Muslim and an Asian has impacted on your progress in stand-up? Has it, for example, given you a distinctive viewpoint, different from the legions of white blokes?
I don’t think it’s held me back. Everyone on the circuit is great and supportive and essentially if you’re funny enough you progress and if you’re not, you get found out. I let my stand-up do the talking, which is a little bit different to others on the circuit as I talk about subjects that are unique to me, and there’s not a lot of working class, Northern, British-Pakistani Muslim comics on the scene.

Could you imagine just doing everyday stand-up that doesn’t reflect on race and religion, or do you think that will always inevitably inform your comedy?
Of course. I’m human, I have experiences that are not only about these labels. Just the other day I was making toast so, you know, there’s loads of stuff in that.

Tez Ilyas performs Made in Britain at the Comedy Box on Friday, April 21. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.thecomedybox.co.uk/site/301.asp?catID=1493&ct=date