Melbourne International Comedy Festival comedian Q&A: Zuleika Khan, Discharged! A Nursing Cabaret

Expect pulses to elevate and hearts to race as comedian and trained nurse Zuleika Khan divulges her medical secrets through music and storytelling.

Zuleika Khan Melbourne Comedy Festival 2019.

What can people expect from your show at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival?

Discharged is an hour of medical musical madness.

You don’t have to be a nurse to enjoy this award-winning show.

Zule, the nurSING diva, continues to divulge nursing secrets using music and storytelling, revealing how nurses have changed modern medicine as we know it.

Expect the unexpected and some truly hilarious audience interaction.

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Tell us about you.

I am new to MICF. I am Sydney born, now Melbourne based and I have been working on my comedy and writing on the road, in front of audiences for almost eight years now.

I am also an acute care Division 1 Registered Nurse and I have found a way to meld my two loves together.

I wrote my first show triage, which has toured the world, including a sold-out season in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Discharged is my latest abomination where I literally spill my guts.

I am from a long line of medical professionals, so I use what I know to bring laughter to everyone, nurses or normals.

My humour is dark, unapologetically honest and something that might trigger you the next time you visit the hospital system … in a good way.

I am also a women, and I know my way around the stereotypes placed upon me and I love to smash them wide open.

I have a nurse’s sense of humour, so not a lot phases me, but jeeze I love to make a whole crowd laugh, simultaneously looking on in awe about my subject matter.

Guaranteed you will not look at comedy, music or nursing the same way once you’ve met me. I love what I do and I am so excited to finally pop my MICF cherry.

Who should see your show, and why?

Anyone who has ever been sick.

If you want an hour where you forget about your problems and purely enjoy the moment, Discharged is for you.

Not only is it a good laugh for the stressed out, over worked medical professional, but anyone who knows a nurse, or ever needed a doctor.

We all get sick, we all need help, and Zule the nurSING Diva is here to thoroughly assess you .

What’s your No.1 tip for people coming to see a show at the comedy festival?

Hmmm, take a punt on something different.

Don’t look at the stars and the awards, just let yourself be immersed in this fabulous festival and see something you never imagined going to.

Support the little guy, you never know, you might see the next star.

Which other comedians/shows are you keen to see at this year’s festival, and why?

I always miss this festival every year so I am super excited to get out and see some unknowns.

There are a couple of Indian comedy shows that have come from overseas that I’d like to see. I think I may just rock up to venues and do a lucky dip on my nights off.

What do you love about Melbourne?

I love Melbourne.

I am from cranky pants Sydney where you can’t even get a drink after midnight without the obligatory pokie bet, so Melbs is a beautiful place for art, culture and just generally being fun to explore.

Who or what is your comedic inspiration, and why?

I have many people I look up to.

I grew up on Fast Forward, Full Frontal, Blackadder, Eddie Murphy live … Rowan Atkinson I love for his measured, articulate delivery of lines.

I of course enjoyed Nanette for its utter raw honesty.

I saw Nicolette Minster a few years back and thought she was hilarious.

As a kid I loved Eddie Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg for their characters they create on stage and getting the audience to feel like you were the only one in the audience.

I also really enjoyed Rove 99 before Rove, Pete, Corrine, Judith Lucy and Dave Callan became Aussie known names … I love them all.

We got some great talent in Australia and I enjoy learning more from these awesome peeps.

Anything else you want us to know about you or your show?

My stories are all true even though they seem utterly absurd and ridiculous.

I make fun of myself as well as not being afraid to confront the darker aspects of my life. Totally tongue in cheek, I enjoy myself as much as the audience I think!

ZULEIKA KHAN, DISCHARGED! A NURSING CABARET, MARCH 27-APRIL 6, THE MC SHOWROOM, LEVEL 1, 48 CLIFTON ST. BOOK TICKETS