Words: Elodie Marriott
Image: Matt Stronge

3 Stars

Ahir Shah is insistent. He grips the mic in one hand and frantically reaches out with the other, as if he’s desperate to inform us. To fast track the revelation that he has finally arrived at after years of ‘becoming’. While the show touches on many subjects — pop culture, religion, Romesh Ranganathan’s A1 treatment from NHS receptionists — it’s mainly the theme of growing up and radical acceptance that Golden is concerned with.

Comedians — or “communist children of millionaires” as he calls his peers — find the funny in the sad, and utilise that contrast to strengthen the impact. Shah first gets us onside with the revelation that he’s a modern day hero, using his grown up status to tell off teenagers for playing TikToks aloud on trains. Lighthearted, relatable, easy to laugh at. As the set progresses, Shah trusts us with some heavier material, discussing money worries and depression scales. The payoffs are longer but well worth waiting for.

Shah is a storyteller and in Golden he guides us thoughtfully along his path of enlightenment: “I became. This is me.”

Ahir Shah: Golden
McEwan Hall at Underbelly Bristo Square
Various times 
6-30 Aug