"I want to use this show as an opportunity to explain to my friends where I have been for the past 15 months."

It is refreshing to come across someone with such an earnest aim for a show. So many productions in Cambridge, both comedy and drama, feel the need to have greater, all-encompassing goals, to make a statement – I myself am certainly guilty of this. Of course there is definitely a place for shows that want to make points about feminism, domestic abuse, or freedom, but to come across someone with such an honest and simple desire is welcome. 

Yaseen Kader intermitted last year during Michaelmas of his second year. He was suffering with depression so crippling that he would isolate himself for days on end, peering out of the peephole of his door so he could be sure no-one would disturb him as he ran to the bathroom or kitchen. It seems incredible, then, that Kader is now back in Cambridge, continuing with his second year of Classics, and preparing for his first stand-up hour next week. 

Yet it is depression that forms the basis of his work: "it is the most prominent topic in my life. And also the funniest." When I question this seemingly contradictory statement, Kader explains that there he "just can’t take things seriously... I feel very disconnected...which means I can make light of serious things". For myself, someone with no real first-hand experience of either comedy or depression, the two do not seem to be natural bedfellows, at least superficially. However, they definitely have a close a relationship. There are a great number of comedians who have come out about mental health issues: Stephen Fry, Jack Dee, John Richardson, John Cleese, Simon Amstell, Louis CK – the list genuinely seems to be quite endless. Kader and I discussed this, as he explained to me a sort of 'triangle' effect, as he sees it:

"There are a lot of comedians who come out of Cambridge. There are a lot of people who are depressed at Cambridge. There are a lot of comedians who are depressed."

I find this to be a fascinating observation, which I couldn’t believe I had never thought about before. "Cambridge attracts people with an obsessive nature", and it is this which not only encourages budding comedians to hone their craft so skillfully, but it is also a personality trait which can lead to anxiety problems and depression. Kader does clarify that "this is certainly not the case for everyone", but I have to agree that in my year at Cambridge so far, ‘obsessive’ is a painfully accurate description, and something I, at least, can definitely relate to. 

Kader explains to me that part of his anxiety is a feeling that he is constantly being judged, I ask how he can manage to perform on stage, and quite literally be judged by a room full of people. "I am so much more confident on stage...I stay in the moment, moving from point to point...if I am in a group and I tell a joke and it falls flat, I start to beat myself up about it, on stage if an audience doesn’t respond well, that’s something that happens to comedians." 

We spoke more about comedy in a general sense, something which Kader took up in his first year in Cambridge, particularly after being diagnosed. In terms of style, "I prefer narratives in stand-up... like thematic albums, for example", citing Simon Amstell’s recent stand-up work as an example. Kader tells me how he used to be more into observational work, but realised that he much preferred the focus of a narrative. This is an opportunity, he sees, for an audience to understand more about him – for the friends who may not have seen him for 15 months, to learn why he isolated himself and why he had to take a year out. 

Whilst I genuinely believe in Kader's modest intentions for his show, I also think that his stand-up hour is a chance to see something which touches on a very serious aspect of Cambridge life. When I ask Kader if there is anything he particularly wants me to get across with this article, he is quite adamant: “It is funny!”, and after meeting him, despite discussing fairly major issues, I have no doubt that it will be.

Smile is on at the Corpus Playroom on Monday 27th October, at 9.30pm