How many standup comedy routines do you know that serve chai and rock out on Spice Girls while you wait for the show to begin? Only the good ones, clearly, and that is absolutely the case at Masala, a one-woman comedy hour by Arzoo Malhotra. A tight, stingingly charming set that used spices and spicy knowledge to map the highs and lows of being a human, Masala was just the ticket to a sassy good time.
Arzoo’s comedic style was provocative and irreverent — using the barbs and BJs of her lived reality and the burden of her knowledge of “cursed facts” — but also warm like the spices she infused within the show. Arzoo chatted the audience through sex and mental health, racism and misogyny, with dark historical facts peppered throughout, but always giving you the space to come out the other side thinking more deeply about the issues elevated.
Simply put, Masala is the type of comedy you come to Capital Fringe Festival for. Smart and well paced, quick pivoting and deeply thoughtful, Arzoo was a delight with hot takes that stung within a carefully crafted, deeply authentic atmosphere.
But that mood didn’t stop at chai and spices. The show also came equipped with a gold, cackling cursed-facts buzzer; plenty of audience banter; a search, though I won’t tell you for what; and some gothicly dramatic lighting.
Playing for one more performance this Fringe Festival, Masala is a must-see in my book. Arzoo’s comedic flair is delightfully twisted and dark, not shying away from cursed facts or staying spicy so that we can connect in the best way possible, through laughter.
Running Time: 55 minutes
Genre: Solo/Comedy
Dates and Times:
- July 18 at 8:30 PM
Venue: Laughter, 1150 Connecticut Avenue NW
Tickets: $15
More Info and Tickets: Masala
