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Legally Brown

Nazeem Hussain is like a one-man Chaser act, delivering plenty of laughs in his new SBS comedy.

2013-09-22_2114There’s nothing more Australian than ‘taking the piss’ out of yourself and Nazeem Hussain does that in spades in his new SBS comedy series, Legally Brown.

He’s like a one-man Chaser act with this show involving stand-up comedy, sketches and live pranks. And there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as he breaks cultural stereotypes in the Muslim community.

Hussain is branded as an emerging comedic talent, but the truth is he’s been around for some time in Salam Cafe (2005), The Project, Sleuth 101, Q & A, Balls of Steel Australia and, most recently, It’s a Date. He’s also done plenty on the comedy circuit and radio.

Now he has his own half-hour comedy before a studio audience, aided by other performers, all of which is culturally-based at religion, ethnicity and Australian society. Hussain, who is of Sri Lankan heritage, gets away with a lot of humour that many could not, but lucky for us he can because the results are often hilarious.

The funniest of all involves a candid-camera style prank known as The People Smuggling Experiment. Hussain drives a truck full of trafficked foreigners to a number of businesses in Sydney and captures priceless reactions from people when they realise what he has behind his roll-a-door. Seeing the look on their faces when they stumble upon dishevelled human cargo -some of whom are pleading for water and shelter- is priceless.

Then there is Uncle Sam (pictured), a taxi driver-turned-election candidate. He wants to become the next prime minister and hits the streets, “Street Talk-style” campaigning on a platform of moving all Muslims to Tasmania. “We will fight the infidels,” he insists, “and offer better IT Support.” Very funny.

In another stunt he shows how easy it is to pass himself off as a wise mystic spiritual leader, simply by mumbling some profound ethereal statements.

There’s also a Jersey Shore parody known as Muslim Shore.

Legally Brown may not have the big budget of other comedy shows but it’s driven them to dig deep in the ideas department and Hussain displays talent and versatility in his own vehicle.

If the rest of the season is as funny as the first episode we’re in for a lot of laughs.

Legally Brown airs 9:30pm Mondays on SBS ONE.

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