Biography:
Former psychologist Asli Akbay spent years studying human behaviour, only to decide making people laugh was way more fun than listening to them cry. After a stint at the BBC working in production, she was inspired to try stand-up comedy and started out on the London comedy scene a while back. She moved to Istanbul 10 years ago in search of the perfect kebab and accidentally became the godmother of Turkey’s English comedy scene (a title she made up, but it’s too late for anyone to argue). Her initiative in launching Istanbul’s English comedy scene has now grown into a thriving community across multiple venues.
In Turkey, Asli performs in both Turkish and English, breaking cultural barriers and disappointing her family in multiple languages. As a founding member of ‘Cok Da Fifi’, Turkey’s premier all-female comedy troupe, she’s toured extensively throughout Turkey and Europe.
She performed her solo show ‘Tomboy’ at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and earned reviews for its “bold and hilarious relatable content delivered with the ease of a stand-up comedy veteran” and praised as “an enjoyable and illuminating hour with humour and great storytelling.”
Whether performing in English or Turkish, her style remains consistently “delightful, wacky and outrageous” – a description that’s followed her from London’s comedy clubs to Istanbul’s stages.
Reviews:
***** The Fringe Minge
*** Hils Jago – One4Review
