Michael’s Akadiri’s new comedy show looks at parenting in a ‘unique way’

It’s not often you would find junior doctor and stand-up comedian listed on the same CV, but in the case of Michael Akadiri – who is about to bring his new show to Cambridge – these are both impressive strings to his bow.

When the Cambridge Independent last spoke to Michael, at the beginning of 2023, he was on his first-ever tour with No Scrubs – which was nominated for a NextUp Biggest Award in Comedy. He had also enjoyed a debut sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

His new show is titled Trust Me I’m a Daddy, and it’s based on his experiences of becoming a father for the first time, to his one-year-old son.

He spoke to the Cambridge Independent the day after the opening date of the tour, which had been in Leeds.

“It was a lot of fun – good energy,” he says, reflecting on how it went, “if the rest of the tour could be like that, then I’ll be very, very happy.”

Michael, who applied to study at the University of Cambridge in 2010 but his application was unsuccessful, notes that Trust Me I’m a Daddy is about “the challenge of trying to juggle three strands of my life – comedy, being a doctor, parenting, and the journey I’ve been on so far with that”.

He adds: “Also, it’s the chance to reflect on my experience of being parented, so to speak, and the challenges my father had parenting me – and sort of comparing and contrasting the two as well.”

Michael observes: “My comedy career’s still quite early but I want to give people an update of what’s going on in my life, and I like to use my own personal life for stories and jokes anyway, so this is I think a big, important thing.

“I know it’s quite clichéd sometimes for comedians to talk about being a father, but hopefully I’m doing it in a bit of a fresh and unique way – I like to think anyway.”

Is it Michael’s son who’s with him in the poster for the show?

“Yes, it is – he’s not a prop,” he replies, “some people are like ‘Oh, was it a prop?’ and I was like ‘Where do I get a baby from?!’

“So we did a photoshoot a few months ago – I had to bribe him with some milk but he was good for it.”

Since the last tour, Michael has taken a sabbatical from his surgical training.

“One of the things in terms of my medical career, I’ve had to really take a step back, just to allow myself to do the parenting,” he explains, “and I’m a stay-at-home dad.

“And I talk about that aspect as well in the show – and how a lot of the childcare activities that are organised are very female-dominated, and sometimes being the only man in a female-dominated space it’s a bit unique.

“I guess it gives you a unique insight into what women have to go through. Of course I can’t experience everything…

“Of course I don’t breastfeed, I don’t give birth, I can’t get pregnant, but being a stay-at-home dad just gives you a bit of an insight into what, for centuries, women have had to endure.”

Michael’s last gig in Cambridge – at the Junction’s J3 – was sold out, leaving him “pleasantly surprised”.

“I’ve taken a bit of a gamble and gone for the J2 [this time], which is the bigger room,” says Michael, who has previously appeared on ITV2’s The Stand Up Sketch Show and BBC Comedy Awards.

“So I’m hoping the people of Cambridge and surrounding areas don’t embarrass me and I hope they turn up!”

See Michael Akadiri at the Cambridge Junction (J2) on Sunday, 17 November. Tickets, priced £16.50 (£15 NHS discount), are available from junction.co.uk. For more on Michael, visit michaelakadiri.com.