I want to be booed once on stage, says comic Abish Mathew

Q. Why did you name your show, Son of Abish?
A. For the longest time, my opening joke used to be how my name sounds a lot like "a bitch". So, when I started my website I called it Son of Abish. It was kind of catchy, and everybody liked it. So, I decided to call my live gigs Son of Abish as well. It's actually two shows in one - a live gig consisting of a monologue, a chat show with funny guest interviews and a sketch comedy, and the other is an online show where I take excerpts from all my performances over a month and compile them in a video.

Son of Abish, a live show by Abish Mathew, will be hosted at the Canvas Laugh Factory on Friday

Q. You began performing in late 2008 - when stand-up comedy was at a nascent stage. Now, there are so many stand-up comics out there. Does it help having a lot of competition?
A. The fact that there are so many performers out there, is actually helping create a large fan base. Every performer brings his set of friends and network, which in turn brings more people to this form of comedy. It's a lot like a pyramid form of marketing, which is very good for the industry. So, the more people joining in, the more it will grow.

Q. How do you make a joke: is it impromptu, or do you write it in advance? Have you ever been booed?
A. I want to be booed on stage, at least once, just to use that situation as a joke in my next show. I have been through corporate performances where people are busy talking or drinking at the bar, and don't pay attention to what I have to say, which is common in most corporate performances. But, no, never in a live show. As for creating a joke, when you become popular and more people start to know you, you want to do a new joke in every performance. And it's difficult because a joke is like a fruit. You have to let it grow. You do it a few times to see how it goes. Make improvisations then do it again. It's a lot like a rehearsal.