Q & A with core Dubomedy member Lamya Tawfik

What is your background? Where are you from and how did you get involved in showbiz?

I'm an Egyptian 33-year-old born and raised in Dubai. My background (both academically and career-wise) is journalism and PR. My first show ever was on Feb 13, 2009. It was after a comedy workshop that I attended that was given by Aron Kader (Axis of Evil). I went on stage, performed, heard the applause and knew then that I was hooked for life! I then found out about the Laugh Out Loud Comedy school at DUCTAC and have been training and performing intensively with Mina Liccione ever since!

So far the journey has been challenging, exciting and my life has changed dramatically. My intense training with Mina has taught me that showbiz is not just about performing but it's also a learning experience. You learn discipline, punctuality, swallowing your ego and being open to criticism. When you're a group performing you learn to put the success of the group first understanding that you're a jigsaw piece of bigger picture that HAS to look good. The implications of that for example is that while you're focused on perfecting your own material you're not stingy about giving feedback and input to others!

Is Dubai/UAE a difficult place to be a comic, particularly if you're a woman?

Dubai is the perfect place to be if you’re a comic I think. Sure there are things we can’t joke about. But that’s not the full story. What people don’t realize is that despite the red lines, we’re blessed because this is a city so diverse that there’s comfort in its diversity. The fact that you can crack a joke and be able to tickly the funny bones of an Australian, Indian and Emirati sitting in the audience means that you’re achieving ‘international’ success before even performing internationally! You gain an understanding of what makes us all laugh, i.e. the common grounds of humor on a human level instead of what makes only certain cultures laugh. The former is a lot more challenging and rewarding than the latter.
Being diverse, means that Dubai is more accepting of various kinds of artists. Since day one, I’ve always heard praise that I’m a female comedian and that I also wear the head veil. I think my audience feels that it’s a refreshing change from a male-dominated industry.

What kind of response have you guys had to the show?

Extremely positive! I’ve even had random people come up to me and say: “hey Funny Girl… I’ve been to your show… you girls are really funny!” Exhilarating! Our launch was sold out, there were people standing and sitting everywhere and the praise that followed was proof that no one left disappointed!

Do you have any amusing stories for when you were performing?

I was doing a show once and suddenly this guy and his family got up and starting walking towards the door. Ok, they don’t want us to pick on them but then they do something like that and of course I’m thinking… this is a gift! So I quickly looked at him and said: “Wait... don’t go! Stay! I’ll tryyy to be funny! Give me a chance!” Of course everyone in the audience though that was funny… he then turned around red-faced and said: “Umm… we have to go because the baby is crying.”

How do people’s sense of humor compare between expats and Emiratis?

Both expats and Emiratis watch Friends and other sitcoms and laugh, so the basis of what makes them laugh is the same. Arabs though are more inclined to enjoy the build-up of a joke, the story behind it more than the actual punchline. I once performed for an audience that was mostly Emirati and decided to write material that reminisced about life back in the 80s. I struck a common chord between us and they enjoyed it. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. If I don’t relate to something a comedian says, I will not find it funny.

Are there things you avoid making jokes of?

I personally will never make jokes about any faith. I find jokes that make fun of religions insensitive to the feelings of those who follow it. I like to keep my act clean and family-friendly which means I don’t do sexual jokes.

Statement on what it's like to perform as a Muslim and the issues Lamya Tawfik has faced:

I’ve had girls come up to me after some shows and have given my hugs and praise for being a veiled comedian. However, being veiled has also been a challenge.
For example, in some venues in Dubai veiled women are not allowed in. While this has always frustrated me when I used to go out with my friends and we’ve usually resorted to just leaving and going somewhere else, it became an actual challenge when I’m performing.

In a recent show, the organizers asked us to wear hats on top of our veils. It was initially frustrating but then you have to swallow that and think of the big picture (see my answer to question 1). I wore a hat felt blessed that I’m still going to perform and had a blast that night! Also, inadvertently, that fed my comedic mind with more material. To start off, I pointed it out before even starting my act!
I was also recently criticized on a TV talk show by an Egyptian presenter who said: “Aren’t veiled women supposed to keep attention away from themselves?” I’m not sure where she got that from but I said that my comedy is clean and family-friendly and so I'm not doing a disservice for myself or my veil by being a comedian. The strange thing is that one of her co-presenters was also veiled!
It’s a bumpy ride but I’m enjoying it! As Miley Cyrus eloquently put it… “The struggles I’m facing, the chances I’m taking sometimes might knock me down but I’m not breaking.” I mean really... at the end of the day… it IS The Climb!