the audience votes on whether the pair should have a second date
Garam Masala Dating is planning a UK run after more than 40 sold-out shows in New York and millions of views online.
Created by Indian comedian Surbhi and co-hosted by stand-up comedian and actor Wyatt Feegrado, the show puts two singletons on a blind date in front of a live audience.
The hosts ask the questions, the crowd weighs in and the couple decide whether they want to see each other again.
As part of a wider international tour spanning more than 30 cities, Garam Masala Dating is planning UK performances, with DESIblitz proud to be a media partner.
Garam Masala Dating already has a connection to London’s comedy scene through its regular residency at Top Secret Comedy Club New York.
The East Village venue is the sister club of London’s Top Secret Comedy Club, whose stages have hosted comedians including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Trevor Noah and Katherine Ryan.
The combination of live dating, comedy and widely shared clips has helped the show build an audience both in the room and online. Its planned UK run will now bring the format to British audiences.
A First Date Everyone Has an Opinion On
The appeal of Garam Masala Dating is easy to understand.
Two people are trying to make a good impression while two comedians ask the questions a polite first date might avoid.
Surbhi and Feegrado guide the conversation through games, jokes and crowd work, responding to whatever the singles reveal.
A surprising answer can become the next line of questioning. A disagreement can give the audience something to argue about.
The hosts have a format to work with, but the date itself remains unscripted.
By the end, the audience votes on whether the pair should have a second date but the final decision is up to the singletons.
The evening continues with a singles mixer, giving people who have spent the show watching someone else’s first meeting a chance to make their own introductions.
The Comedians Behind the Show
Surbhi, known online as @lordmakemetaller, works across stand-up, writing and digital comedy.
Creating Garam Masala Dating has given her a format of her own, with the host’s role extending from setting up the encounter to finding the humour in a conversation as it happens.
She and Feegrado also co-hosted First World Problematic, a comedy podcast whose guests have included Sammy Obeid and Ian Edwards.
Their work together spans the long conversations of a podcast and the quick exchanges required to keep a live room engaged.
Feegrado began performing stand-up at 16 before attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Known for dark humour and tightly written one-liners, he tours as a stand-up and co-hosts Gen Zenophobic with his brother, comedian Luke Abranches.
His acting work includes playing Vinnie Corrales in Bettor Days on ESPN+, Jones Valencia in Chicano Squad and Jesus Christ in the History Channel’s Holy Marvels.
On Garam Masala Dating, he and Surbhi keep the date moving while making room for the people onstage to take it somewhere neither host expected.
Familiar Faces in the Dating Seats
Some of the singles who have appeared on Garam Masala Dating already have audiences of their own.
Contestants have included Lea’h Sampson, whose credits include Netflix, Comedy Central and Peacock, and Vick Krishna, whose viral comedy sketches have attracted coverage from NPR and Fast Company.
Another contestant, Rachel Tokar, recently headlined a sold-out show in the Comedy Store’s Belly Room in Los Angeles.
For viewers familiar with their comedy, Garam Masala Dating offers a chance to see how they handle a situation with personal stakes.
Being comfortable in front of an audience is one thing, but deciding whether to go on another date adds a different kind of suspense.
Bringing Garam Masala Dating to Britain
Garam Masala Dating‘s South Asian roots give it a particular place in the dating conversation.
Attraction can sit alongside questions about culture, family expectations and what each person wants from a relationship.
The format makes room for those differences while bringing together singles and audiences from different backgrounds.
The planned UK run will introduce British singles and new dating experiences for Surbhi and Feegrado to work with onstage.
Britain forms part of an international itinerary being developed across India, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UAE and Bali.
UK cities, venues and dates will be announced as arrangements are finalised, with updates available through Garam Masala Dating‘s official channels.
The comedians can arrange the introduction. Whether it deserves a second date is up to the people onstage.
