Comedian couple Rishi Budhrani and Sharul Channa weigh in on Sammy Obeid saga

Comedian couple Rishi Budhrani and Sharul Channa have weighed in on the saga surrounding US comedian Sammy Obeid, who claimed that the script for his Singapore show had been rejected twice and that he was told to remove references to the war in Gaza, thus leading to its cancellation.

Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has since stated that Obeid's claims were inaccurate and that the permit for his show was rejected as the application was submitted late, about 10 working days before the show. Obeid has also been issued a correction order under Singapore's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

In a joint statement on their social media pages, Budhrani and Channa (who have individually and collectively staged numerous live shows in Singapore) stated that "every place has their own set of timelines, guidelines, systems and licensing permits".

"However, if your goal as a performer is to bring your art to the people you create it for, then you play by those rules, however much you may disagree with them, do the needful and make it work," added the couple.

They then provided a list of tips for visiting comedians to look out for when staging a show in Singapore. These include booking a venue early, securing a local promoter early in the process, applying for Singapore's Arts Entertainment Licence early, and giving the team "everything they've got at the onset".

While stating that there is "most definitely" room for improvement in the current process, Budhrani and Channa are of the view that the ongoing saga surrounding Obeid and the way Singapore's comedy scene has been portrayed thereafter "is not an accurate representation of the current climate on the ground".

"There are many truly talented locally-based and visiting comedians/actors/musicians/theatre practitioners constantly creating good work, constantly pushing boundaries and enjoying a beautiful audience," wrote the couple.

"We've personally been in rooms where there have been great comedic sets or even theatrical shows on a variety of supposedly taboo topics like race, sex, religion, local politics (and politicians) and even international geo-politics."

The couple hopes that visiting comedians will not be discouraged by "this rare incident".

Budhrani and Channa also addressed the situation in Gaza, stating: "Completely separate from the issue of licensing and production of live comedy shows, it is our hope that the unjustifiable atrocities, the breaches of humanitarian law and the senseless violence in Gaza comes to a halt immediately."