Abish Mathew’s evolving comedy tour brings chaos and clowning to Hyderabad

There wasn’t a single lightning bolt moment that pushed Abish Mathew towards comedy. Instead, it was something gentler, steadier, and far more formative. “It was actually my family,” he says. “Since I was a kid, they mostly put me on stage — fancy dress competitions, mono-acting competitions, etc.” Being on stage was never treated like a detour — it was encouraged, nurtured, and normalised. That early comfort never came with academic pressure. “There was no expectation to take an academic direction,” Abish recalls. Teachers noticed it too. “They said, ‘yeah, he’s good on stage — for music or theatre. Very few people have that’.”

Abish Mathew's Comedy Tour in Hyderabad: A Bold Blend of Chaos and Clowning

His long relationship with the spotlight now finds a new expression in Abish Mathew & His Many Talents Part 2, arriving in Hyderabad as part of an evolving tour. The show leans into stand-up, music, improv, storytelling — and something more unruly. “I feel like I’m a different person since the last special,” he admits. “Every time comedians finish a full special, they’re different and they want to explore something new.”

That exploration took him as far as Norway, where he briefly studied clowning. “The way you do stand-up is different, improv is different, clowning is different,” he explains. The result is a format that embraces participation over punchlines alone. “Not crowd work where I’m talking to them, but where the audience becomes participative.”

If Part 1 felt organised, Part 2 is braver. “The first part of this special was less fearless,” Abish says candidly. “This one has added the clowning element — bringing chaos. That impulsive laughter where you don’t know why you’re laughing, but you are.” It’s a risky territory, especially for sharp stand-up audiences hungry for “zingy one-liners,” but Abish leans into the tension. “I could say this second one is more fearless.”

Despite the chaos, craft remains central. “When the audience buys a ticket, they should get something concrete,” he insists. Songs are practised, jokes are tested, and even the silences are deliberate. “When you’re silent and the audience laughs, you hear the laughter better.”

So what does he hope Hyderabad takes back? “That you can still have fun with bubbles, balloons and rubber bands,” he laughs. “There’s a kid in all of us.” And perhaps, without realising it, the audience becomes part of his own evolving journey — one that’s just getting started.

Tickets start at ₹499. January 18, 5.30 pm. At The Comedy Theatre, Gachibowli.

Email: isha.p@newindianexpress.com

X: @indulgexpress

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.