Tullamore comedian Ciara "Izzie" Izuchukwu is bringing her own experiences of race, culture and identity to a new Virgin Media Television series. Stand Up If You’re Racist uses comedy to explore multicultural life in Ireland.
Offaly comedian Ciara "Izzie" Izuchukwu is bringing her own experiences of race, culture and identity to the screen as part of Virgin Media Television’s new three-part comedy series Stand Up If You’re Racist.
The comedian and actuary, who grew up in Offaly with an Irish mother and Nigerian father, is among the performers featured in the new series, which follows comedian Martin Angolo as he sets out to create Ireland’s biggest multicultural stand-up comedy showcase.
Ciara admits the title of the programme immediately grabs attention, describing it as "shocking" but saying that is exactly why Ciara loves it.
With racism continuing to be such a prominent topic of conversation, she believes comedy can provide a way of exploring it from a different perspective.
"The title is shocking, but I love it."
The series asks how conversations around racism can be approached in a more light-hearted and less serious way.
Ciara was asked to take part in Stand Up If You’re Racist after her second stand-up gig, something she says made the opportunity even more exciting.
Despite being relatively new to the comedy circuit, she is looking forward to seeing the finished series on television.
Born in London to an Irish mother and Nigerian father, Ciara moved to Ireland when she was 11 and settled in Offaly. She says her own experiences of arriving in Ireland have naturally influenced the material she brings to the stage.
"When I came over at 11 years old going into school, I was black, but I was also English."
While conversations around race can often focus on what divides people, Ciara believes comedy can highlight the experiences people have in common.
"We all hate our bosses, don’t like our in-laws" she joked, pointing to the everyday experiences people can draw from regardless of their background.
Ciara’s move into stand-up came after she returned to Ireland and found herself looking for a new hobby. Comedy felt like a natural fit for someone who admits she was never exactly shy growing up.
"I was always a yapper in school and I loved the attention," she said.
Getting on stage for the first time was still a terrifying experience, but those nerves quickly disappeared once she began performing.
Ciara says she absolutely loved it, describing stand-up as addictive and even a form of self-therapy.
For now, her career as an actuary remains her full-time job, but comedy is not going anywhere.
Ciara says she plans to continue performing stand-up alongside her professional career discussed in full on Shine A Light.
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