Known as the “Jon Stewart of the Arab World”, Bassem Youssef will be bringing a global perspective to the 16th Inaugural Chaser Lecture at Sydney’s Town Hall on Monday November 9th.
Youssef is a former cardio-thoracic surgeon and his behind Al Bernameg, an Egyptian TV comedy that won international acclaim for it’s hilarious criticism of the country’s ruling elites.
Beginning it’s life as a 5-minute YouTube show during the Arab Spring, the show was soon the most watched program in the Middle East with over 30 million viewers a week. Despite the critical acclaim and huge following, Al Bernameg was shut down due to political pressure in 2014, with Youssef and his family now living outside of Egypt for their own safety.
Named one of Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People in 2013 (the handsome former surgeon’s photogenic face gracing the issue’s cover no less) and winning the International Press Freedom Award that same year, Youssef is one of the most important and well respected voices in political comedy.
According to an announcement, the Inaugural Chaser Lecture has “for over four decades” followed, “in the tradition of the Andrew Olle Media Lecture, the A.N. Smith Lecture in Journalism and the Bronwyn Bishop Ethics Oration.”
The lecture will be held as a formal dinner hosted by The Chaser with an after-dinner conversation between Bassem Youssef and MC Julian Morrow as well as audience questions.
Taking place on Monday November 9th, Dinner tickets are currently on sale for $330 each with gallery only seats for the lecture going on sale on September 29th for the much more reasonable price of $80.
Visit the venue website for more details.
