Two Comedians, Two Perspectives: Hussain and Carlson on Comedy and Career

Nazeem Hussain: Performance Style and Content

Nazeem Hussain, a comedian with a 20-year career, recently performed in Brisbane. He reports that his comedy is interactive and often involves sensitive topics. Hussain states he began performing at local Muslim community events as a teenager.

Hussain says his routines address experiences with racism and bullying. He has incorporated global political events, including the situation in Gaza and the occupied territories, into his comedy from early in his career. One of his routines, described as "12-and-a-half minutes of jokes about Israel," was part of a 2025 recorded special and has received over half a million views on YouTube, according to Hussain. He reports that a Palestinian artist told him that, after seeing his show, they had not laughed in years.

"12-and-a-half minutes of jokes about Israel"—a routine that has garnered over half a million views.

Hussain states that while politics and his experience as a "brown man in a white culture" are central themes, his primary goal is to be funny. He describes his writing process as often occurring on stage, where he tests ideas directly with an audience. He indicates he sometimes begins shows with more "reckless" material to signal that all subjects are open for comedic exploration.

Urzila Carlson: Career Path and Television Projects

Urzila Carlson, a comedian who began her stand-up career later in life, has two shows on ABC TV. She stars in a sketch comedy show titled Urzila and a comedy series about paramedics titled Separated at Birth, the latter of which co-stars Nazeem Hussain.

Carlson was born in South Africa and reports moving to New Zealand at age 30 or 31. She lived in Texas and Cardiff before settling in New Zealand. According to Carlson, she worked in advertising until a colleague encouraged her to try stand-up comedy. She performed at an open mic night at The Classic, a comedy club in New Zealand, and later won the New Zealand's best newcomer award.

"I worked in advertising until a colleague encouraged me to try stand-up comedy."

Carlson states her comedy is based on real life experiences and storytelling. She credits her mother as a funny influence and says she does not perform political comedy. She has two children and reports having no plans to move to Australia.

Urzila streams on ABC iview and airs Wednesdays at 9:25pm on ABC TV.