Hardeep Singh Kohli has a lot going for him. First there’s his trademark turban and kilt. He’s instantly recognisable. Then there’s the legacy of growing up Indian in Glasgow. It is a humour that draws deeply from the well of life. Take the time young Hardeep stumbled across two thugs brawling on a neighbourhood street. Brawling, that is, until they saw him, whereupon they stopped fighting and gave chase. “You see even at a young age I was uniting people,” he quips.
All he needs then is a vehicle, an excuse to stand before an audience. So, inspired by his time on the BBC’s Masterchef, he came up with the Nearly Naked Chef show. Forged in the heat of the Edinburgh Festival, the formula is brilliantly simple and suits his strengths down to the ground. Two hours filled with anecdotes, jokes and cooking tips. At the end a few lucky theatregoers are treated to a helping of dhal.
Hardeep’s Lakeside performance had the mostly mature audience in polite chuckles all night. Reminiscences about his family life, his parents, his eccentric Uncle Rajid, while uniquely Punjabi, were the stuff with which anyone could identify. This was a gently amusing but also profoundly sympathetic view of family life and the debt we all owe our relatives.
Meanwhile Hardeep was busily chopping away at the onions and chilli, sprinkling the spices and stirring in vinegar. The aromas alone made the evening a scintillating affair. The programme, incidentally, includes several of his favourite recipes.
Hardeep’s banter is witty, intelligent and universal. But don’t be fooled, beneath this charming facade lies a Bengal tiger. Several of the punters were unceremoniously ribbed, not least one young latecomer attempting to sneak quietly into the back of the theatre. Hardeep turned the spotlight on this unfortunate fan. Let’s just say the lamb steaks weren’t the only ones in hot water!
There were dark moments too. Hardeep’s account of how victory eluded him on Masterchef was a story that started off wryly funny but ended with a sour taste. “I’m over it now!” he cried, clearly meaning the opposite. And although there was no particularly blue humour, the air was as thick with colourful language as it was coriander.
In conclusion ‘The Nearly Naked Chef’ was amusing, with plenty of food for thought. If you like vindaloo and laughter, look out for his next tour ‘Chat Masala’.
Read our interview with Hardeep Singh Kohli.
Hardeep Singh Kohli performed at the Lakeside Arts Centre on May 12th 2011.
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