Mawaan Rizwan wants you to get acquainted with the unconventional. Yes, really. Known for his viral internet skits and on-stage antics, the London-based comic began his days as a self-made YouTuber. Here, online, you’re never too far from a bootleg zany parody or satirical spoof. Nowadays, however, Rizwan is known for his gigs on the telly and acrobatic reinvention of creativity. Whether he’s scripting a jingle about mangos or quipping about his amusing relationship with his South Asian parents, you can bet the London-based actor is imagining a wacky new idea.
Right now, Rizwan is settling down at Edinburgh Fringe Festival (it’s his tenth year at the staple event); a place where he comes to test the waters and absorb the genius splattered across stages. Each return, for Rizwan, is a recipe for inspired evolution — add a pinch of salt, silliness and unreadiness and you’re almost there. “Every year I come back, I try and break the mould I created last time. I try and push myself,” he says. The method, madness and motive all boils down to “reinvention”. You see, growing up, Rizwan wanted two things: applause and to be interesting. Whether he was shining under the glare of a stage light or the off-white hue of a laptop screen, the actor knew he wanted to be seen. Nothing, not even the prodding, off-putting comments online was enough to deter him. So, without industry contacts or a flowery degree behind him, Rizwan stepped
