A BLACKBURN comedian is set to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this summer.

Tez Ilyas is a stand-up comedian in its traditional sense –putting the focus on live performances and audience interaction rather than online soundbites.

Despite the growth of Asian comedians taking to YouTube, he says that was never for him.

Tez said: “I’m not of the YouTube or Vine generation, I’m old school. I like to interact with people.

“Standing up on a stage and trying to make people laugh for very little or no money is the real challenge.”

By day Tez has a ‘boring’ office job – by night he is a dapper, suit-wearing comedian commanding the open mic circuit in London.

He added: “ All my stuff is tried on the audience directly. Naturally, you get hecklers here and there.

“But if the gig is going well, you can slam the person with the audience on your side.”

Tez entered the comedy scene five years ago when he moved from Blackburn to London.

The next step in his trajectory is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

“Going to Edinburgh is a huge personal accolade,” said Tez.

“This is my third time there, but previously I shared a stage with other comedians.

“This time it is curated, so it’s a great honour, a validation.

“Tez Talks is the show I am bringing to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it is a culmination of five years on the circuit – I’ve created an interesting narrative for the audience.

“I’m going to approach the audience as if they are all about to convert to Islam. My talk is teaching them how to integrate.

“I do get people now and again who tell me that my comedy is ‘haram’, but you have to brush off comments like that.

“When I talk on stage about being a Muslim, it’s from an ironic perspective. I don’t seek to be a role model.”

Tez says his artisitic endeavours have been influenced by the likes of Chris Rock and Stewart Lee.

He said: “I’d love to the emulate some of their success and tour theatres in my own name throughout the country.”