The title of Adi Parmar’s debut refers to the moniker his mother gave him as a child. As nicknames go, it’s spot on; he practically beams. Whether kicking off his show with a Bollywood dance number or describing a rather chatty blowjob he once gave in a gents’ loo, there’s something irrepressibly cheerful about Parmar’s stage presence. This geniality never feels clawing, but it does have the effect of hitting you for six when his show shifts subtly from bonhomie to heartbreak.
Like many a debut, it’s deeply autobiographical, tracing Parmar’s experience as a flamboyant boy growing up in India to his more open life living in Amsterdam, where he’s managed to fulfil a fantasy he had since watching Friends as a closeted kid. Namely, he bagged himself a daddy as dreamy as Tom Selleck.
Some of Parmar’s material can feel familiar, especially when leaning into cultural stereotypes (Indian parents are strict; Dutch people are direct), but the show’s laundry fresh when he turns inwards, examining his circuitous path to queer acceptance. As well as his irresistible charm and a string of wry innuendoes, Parmar uses pictures from his life to thread together his story and help punctuate his fine punchlines.
It’s only near the show’s end that you realise this debut isn’t just Parmar announcing his comedic talent. He’s also broadcasting to his family in India – who have refused to put two and two together – who he really is. For anyone Googling from across the globe, let me spell it out. Adi Parmar is a gay man, and a talented standup.
Adi Parmar: Sunny Boy, Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 30 Aug, 7pm