As the British comedian readies for her next big thing, she’s all about Boston this weekend with four shows in the Seaport
Gina Yashere is no stranger to Boston comedy crowds. But at the same time, she kind of is, in a way.
When the British comedy star makes her way to the Laugh Boston stage for the first of four shows in the seaport on Thursday night (May 30), it will be the first time in awhile that she’s delivering a full slate of material on a show of her own, as opposed to the Fenway Health galas and Women In Comedy Festivals she’s done in the past. To say the least, Yashere is pumped to experience a full-on Boston comedy crowd, and hopefully beyond.
“I’m really looking forward to bringing my full hour to the city, and experiencing a Boston crowd a bit more,” Yashere tells Vanyaland. “I’m also excited to experience the city itself a bit more, since I haven’t really had the chance to hang around in the past.”
Aside from stand-up that takes her all over the world, Yashere has some other irons in the fire as we speak. In addition to her two-and-a-half hours worth of comedy currently streaming on Netflix, Yashere is currently working towards putting the next hour together for a special, as she’s always done.
Following her weekend in the Hub, she’ll also be making the move from New York to Los Angeles, to work with Chuck Lorre (of The Big Bang Theory and Two And a Half Men fame) on a new sitcom titled Bob Hearts Abishola for CBS.
But before any of that happens, though, the London native is living in the moment, and looking forward to not only connecting with her audience as a whole, but also seeing more of her LGBT family there, as well. Yashere has made a career out of bringing people together with her comedy, and no matter what side of the aisle you fall on, there’s always a spot for you to laugh with complete strangers at a Gina Yashere show. That sense of community is something the comedy vet has worked hard at over the course of her 20-plus year career in comedy, and she’s proud of the results that hard work has yielded thus far.
“I’ve always worked toward being a comedian that anyone can enjoy, because I firmly believe that we’re all just walking hunks of meat,” says Yashere. “We’re all human, and we all have experiences. I’ve always felt like comedy is one of those things that can bring people together no matter what our beliefs are, or our political ideals. I could perform to the most right-wing crowd and still find something to make them laugh about. I’ve never considered myself as part of any one particular audience. I’ve always been about bringing people together and to have a laugh and let go for a little while.”
GINA YASHERE :: Thursday, May 30 to Saturday, June 1 at Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. in Boston, MA :: 8 p.m. on Thursday; 7:30 p.m. on Friday; 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, $20 to 25 :: Event info