Expect the unexpected

Akmal has a refreshingly on-the-toes approach to comedy, and he enjoys the thrill of working out his material under tough conditions. “When the adrenalin's pumping and the brain is functioning at a higher rate… I just don't get inspired unless there's an audience there.” He's fascinated by people who work differently, such as Steven Wright. “I worked with him!” he exclaims. “He's almost like a machine. The moment he goes to pick up his glass and take a drink is exactly the same every night. He even puts it down in a particular way. He's worked it out like a military-precision kind of thing. I don't think I could possibly do that.”

The ability to think on his feet explains why Saleh did so well in radio, and why he'd made a lousy actor – “I couldn't stick to scripts. I'd have to do it in my own voice,” he muses. Nothing for him, however, beats playing his own show in a good venue. “When I'm doing my own show, I don't really get nervous, but I get focused. You've got to put yourself in that particular frame of mind."