Who was the new face at Freddy’s One Night Stand?
Adin Mathitharan: Comedy his favourite stress buster. Pic by Indika Handuwala
When Adin Mathitharan’s first joke met with surprised silence, the 27-year-old’s heart sank for a moment. The newest addition to “Freddy”, Adin’s debut in ‘One Night Stand’ was nerve-wracking. He was performing for a crowd of 2600 at the Temple Trees auditorium with a set based on familiar turf for him but less familiar possibly to most of his audience- his Tamil culture and growing up in the war-torn North.
Freddy is arguably Sri Lanka’s biggest brand of stand-up comedy. Hilariously Sri Lankan, the show isn’t afraid to be explicit- not just in language but in the bold content which is hard hitting about our social and political responsibilities as citizens of this country coupled with a healthy dose of politician- bashing. Since its first run in 2016, Freddy has progressed to internet stardom under the guidance of writer/director Feroze Kamardeen, giving Sri Lanka its own brand of English comedy – unapologetic, relevant and our own.
Carrying the pressure of a new act and the first time on a stage before a large audience, we didn’t believe Adin’s nervousness until he admitted it to us himself. Backed by an infectious likability and winning smile, the first few unsettling minutes of his act seemed to melt as he recounted the nursery rhyme- “The Wheels of the Bus” which ended with the literal bang of an explosion and Adin running for cover. From that moment “I knew it was going to be okay” he says, as his set unfolded to the background of music to any comedian’s ears- unrestrained laughter.
Born and raised in Jaffna before fleeing to Batticaloa in 1996 to escape the worst of the war, Adin now works as a manager of an offline marketing outfit. His dark humour took in his Appamma’s imaginative guilt trip stories (which parents and grandparents are experts at), stereotypes within the Tamil community and his side of the war- like the thousands of innocent civilians trapped between the mix of politics, violence and fear and had its comic moments laced with a casual albeit conscious responsibility in tackling challenging and pressing issues that need to be addressed today.
Adin got his first exposure to drama while studying at St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa where he also played basketball. He left home for Colombo in 2006 and went on to study at Leighton Park. Colombo was “a huge culture shock” Adin says honestly. But with this new set of challenges came Benjamin Rajah. Having met at church, they became fast friends, Benjamin pushing Adin into taking part in church plays.
His break in Freddy came as a random suggestion by a work friend who knew of his interest in theatre and put him in contact with Feroze Kamardeen back in 2016. “I was a big fan of Pusswedilla” following YouTube clips and videos of Sri Lanka’s favourite “Son of the Village, Father of Democracy and Close Relashen of Meediya Freedom” and after his first conversation with the director, they kept in touch. In 2017, he got a surprise phone call from Feroze. “Come see me at my office at 2 p.m. today” he recalls the director telling him.
A night of laughter at Temple Trees. Pic by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
Adin took an inconspicuous but significant role as part of the crew for Freddy Strikes Back earlier this year handling the multimedia aspects for each set. Little did he think that a few months later he would be brainstorming his own routine with Feroze.
Comedy was always important to the mild mannered Adin, whose favourites range from the acidic wit of Don Rickles to Ricky Gervais and the more dramatic, built for screen humour of Kevin Hart. His childhood was influenced by legendary duo Senthil and Goundamani; often dubbed the Laurel and Hardy of Tamil cinema. “Even now when I’m stressed out, I watch some of their clips on YouTube,” he smiles. But it was a video of a Russell Peters’ act that ignited his passion for stand-up.
The road to Temple Trees wasn’t easy though. “About three months ago, I sucked,” he confesses. Adin isn’t shy about the struggles and challenges he had to overcome- both onstage and off. Perfecting his delivery was especially hard. After a particularly bad rehearsal “I came home and thought I shouldn’t go through with it,” he admits. But the unassuming comedian is also a man of gentle resilience. “It was also my boost,” he says of his aha! moment- a chance to prove his disbelievers including himself, wrong.
Just a week after the show, Adin is getting more ‘friend’ requests than he can handle and even receives the occasional praise for his act. “The attention scared me,” he laughs, but he is humbled by the experience- seeing comedy as a responsibility and a chance to bridge the gap between people and achieve his dream- to end racism in the country.
His routine- which ended in a steady round of laughter and insight is more than a show done well for the comedian. The excitement of his parents and sister, Feroze, Siraj Abdul Hameed, his cast and crewmates has given him renewed impetus- a chance to influence another youngster’s life. “If I can do it, you can do it” is Adin’s outlook backed by his faith in Christ, not forgetting – hard work. “It won’t fail you,” he adds frankly, quickly noting “it might take some time, but things will fall into place.”