:: fear of a brown planet ::

In 2008, Aamer Rahman and Nazeem Hussain were recipients of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) Best Newcomer Award for their hit debut Fear Of A Brown Planet. In 2007, Nazeem and Aamer both entered Triple J’s Raw Comedy and beat hundreds of other hopefuls to reach the Victorian State final together. Rahman won the State Final and went on to become the national runner-up in a performance that was screened on ABC television.

Nazeem Hussain is 24 and studied law at Deakin University. He is a youth worker and a Director of the Islamic Council of Victoria. Aamer Rahman is 27 and graduated with a law degree from Monash University. His childhood was spent moving between Australia and the Middle East.

As well as standup, Rahman and Hussain have both written and performed for television and in 2009 were among ten writers selected for an exclusive script-writing workshop hosted by UK indie film company Warp X (This is England, Donkey Punch), Screen Australia and Madman Entertainment.

In 2010, Aamer and Nazeem's new show, Fear of a Brown Planet Returns, performed to sold-out audiences, including additional shows as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, and the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Aamer performed in the Oxfam Comedy Gala televised on Channel Ten in 2010, whilst Nazeem performed in the Cracker Night of the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala, televised on the Comedy Channel.

In October 2010, Fear of a Brown Planet also performed a special sold out one off show at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne, with Allah Made Me Funny. And Nazeem starred in the Australian series of ‘Balls of Steel’ receiving the highest ratings for both his shows. He will return for Season 2. Aamer was a contributing writer on the show.

Aamer has appeared twice on “You Have Been Watching” aired on the Comedy Channel in February & March this year and Nazeem performed at the Oxfam Comedy Gala, broadcast on Network Ten and has also appeared as a panellist on the ABC’s Q & A and the 7pm PM Project on Network Ten.

Both Nazeem and Aamer performed at the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne & Sydney Comedy Festivals in 2011, in their new show ‘Fear of a Brown Planet Attacks, They also took a best of show to the Edinburgh Fringe in August for their UK debut and played a sold out show in Brixton, London.

Most recently, Aaamer and Nazeem have been the focus on an episode of Australian Story, aired on the ABC on November 7. The episode documents their lives from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2011 to their debut run at the Edinburgh Fringe in August.