What have you got planned for your trip while you’re here in the UAE?
I’ll be there for a few days. I’m bringing my wife with me, and she’s never been there. She’s Filipina and I’m Indian, so I’m pretty sure somebody is going to think that the maid and the driver are hooking up.
After selling out The Coca Cola Arena in March, global comedy superstar Russell Peters returns to Dubai to launch the Dubai Comedy Festival on Thursday, 12 May at The Agenda. This return for his’ Act Your Age’ World Tour also features opening act Alingon Mitra and DJ Starting From Scratch.
You’re here for the Dubai Comedy Festival. What can we expect from the show?
Well, it’s the Act Your Age world tour. I was just in Dubai in March at the Coca-Cola Arena, and it was sold-out, and it was well-received, so they asked me to come back. You don’t ever have to ask me twice to come back to Dubai.
Can fans expect a different show and different content?
No. It’s the same tour and the same show. There might be some more updated or finely tuned jokes, but it’s essentially the same show I did in March. If I’m writing a new act from March until now, then I’m Ernest Hemingway. But since I’m not, it’s the same act. If you liked it then, you’ll love it this time. And if you haven’t seen it or missed it, then this is the one to see!
What are your favourite things to do when you’re here in Dubai?
There’s so much to do there, and it’s really kind of hard to put your finger on it because every time I come there, there’s something new going on, there’s a new venue or opening of something. Dubai is like a Kinder Surprise. You never really know what you’re going to get!
When it comes to comedy, where do you draw your inspiration from?
It depends on what’s on my mind at that time. Let’s go back to the Deported world tour when I was in a more introspective space about my own personal life, and I’d just become a new father again. Now, I’m in a different space. We’re coming off the pandemic and my life has changed considerably. I’m married now and I’m in a very good space. I’m happy, and I’m dealing with things that are bothering people my age. People over 50 are bothered by cancel culture or bothered about millennials and Gen Zs. I delve into why we’re bothered and how we got here.
What are your thoughts on cancel culture?
Have you ever met somebody who’s been offended? I mean, I’ve never really met these cancelled people and I don’t even know that they’re real. I feel like they’re bots on the computer and that we’re somehow becoming indebted to them for no apparent reason.
The tour is called Act Your Age. How is this appropriate in context to your own age?
I mean, I’m closer to dementia than anything else, but mentally I think I’m starting to mature. So, the ironic thing is that I’m maturing, but am I a 52-year-old man mentally? I think I might have hit 30 now. I’m still mentally younger than my career.
Your comedy is always relatable, but is there anything that is off-limits on stage?
I don’t talk about religion, whether it’s good or bad, I don’t want to leave it up for interpretation and I don’t want to be misunderstood. So I tend to leave it alone. Not because I’m trying to be safe, but because there are so many other things we can talk about.
A lot of people see having your own Netflix special as the epitome of comedic success. Do you agree?
I started in 1989. The goal back then was to get on Johnny Carson, and then the goal was to get on Leno. You wanted to get on the talk shows to validate yourself. Now the talk shows are kind of mute. You could do 100 talk shows in a week and it may equal zero. Now you’ve got to enter the world of streaming and international viewing. I was lucky enough to essentially be the first YouTube sensation, so I’ve always been at the forefront of what’s new or what’s about to happen. I was the first guy to do Coca-Cola Arena, the first comedy guy to shoot a special at the O2 Arena. I’ve had a lot of firsts in my career and Netflix is what it is, but I think I’m ready to move on and start something different. What is it? I don’t know yet. That’s my secret.
If someone wants to come and see the show at Dubai Comedy Festival, why should they come?
I know every comic and everybody promoting a show will say this, but I genuinely think that this is one of the best sets I’ve written in a very long time. I’m hitting a lot of points that I feel a lot of other comics are skipping or avoiding. I’m very happy with the point of view I have on this act.
What have you got planned for your trip while you’re here in the UAE?
I’ll be there for a few days. I’m bringing my wife with me, and she’s never been there. She’s Filipina and I’m Indian, so I’m pretty sure somebody is going to think that the maid and the driver are hooking up.
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