Words: Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Photographs courtesy of Sashi Perera
Feted as one of Australia’s up and coming female stand-up comediennes, Sashi Perera was recently in London where she performed to sell out audiences. Those who attended her shows loved it as they could relate to her sense of humour especially when she rolled out the Sri Lankan “family” jokes. A refugee lawyer by profession her work has taken her to several parts of the world.
Feeling a bit jaded with her work, Sashi immersed herself in Melbourne’s creative community through stand-up comedy. She was given a scholarship to do improvisation comedy and she also performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Using her social media platforms, especially TikTok to her advantage her popularity increased literally overnight and it led her to acting gigs and ultimately being included in the UK Funny Women Awards ‘Ones to Watch’ list in 2021.
When did you realise you had a penchant for stand- up comedy?
I first stepped on stage for a national stand-up comedy competition. I didn’t know I was good at it till I got through to the state final! It was an exciting discovery.
How old were you when you first started your comedy act?
31. It’s never too late to try something new.
How receptive were audiences to you being a woman of colour doing stand-up comedy?
I think I started at such a lucky time. Audiences want to hear from a wide range of voices and more and more women of colour are coming up in the scene.
You have said that accidental diversity was the best thing to happen to Melbourne’s comedy scene. Why so?
I don’t think we’re at a stage where an event is organised and last minute they think – oh God we need someone who is a not straight white male on the line-up. Diversity is happening organically because there are many more types of comics out there now.
How did the pandemic and the associated lockdowns help further your career as a stand-up comedienne?
The lockdowns killed the arts industry but it did help a lot of us pivot and learn how to do gigs online. It also made us so much more thankful to get onto a stage with an enthusiastic audience once we all entered the real world again.
Your latest show is called Endings. What is it all about?
It’s about how endings shouldn’t be viewed as failures. Often, they’re a natural part of a cycle and bring new beginnings with new experiences you could never see coming.
Has your Sri Lankan upbringing provided you with ample material for your shows?
Yes. I love putting in material about my Sri Lankan parents, uncles, friends – the list goes on. I love that so many people can relate to it, whether they’re Sri Lankan or not. I’ve been blown away by how many can relate to my experiences even when they look nothing like me.
