Russell Tovey has joined the cast of Mawaan Rizwan’s BBC Three pilot Juice, alongside the stand-up’s real-life brother and mother, plus fellow comic Jeff Mirza.

As British Comedy Guide revealed last month, the 35-minute Comedy Slice, which airs this autumn, has also been made for the US streaming service HBO Max. It is based on Two Weeks To Live star Rizwan’s 2018 Edinburgh Fringe show of the same name, which derives from his mother’s advice to him growing up that if “life gives you mangoes, make mango juice”.

Rizwan plays Jamma, who desperately wants to be the centre of attention, but his family are constantly stealing his thunder.

Mum, Farida (Shahnaz Rizwan) always makes everything about her, Dad, Saif (Mirza), ignores him and brother, Isaac (Nabhaan Rizwan), steals the limelight at work – the one place Jamma feels like he’s doing well. And when he finally does get validation from boyfriend Guy (Him & Her star Tovey), he can’t handle it. Jamma’s hyperactive imagination goes into overdrive and the world transforms around him.

 

As recounted in his 2018 storytelling show, Pakistani-born Rizwan’s mother became a Bollywood star after he featured her in one of his music videos. The wannabe showbusiness megastar’s father is a playwright, while his brother, Nabhaan, who is also an established actor, has just shot HBO Max’s sci-fi mini-series Station Eleven, about a pandemic that wipes out most of the world’s population.

“I did a live show at the Edinburgh Fringe about how my mum always steals my thunder” said Rizwan. “Luckily, I’ve been commissioned to make my own TV pilot. Unluckily, my mum is in it and really steals my thunder.”

Juice is one of three BBC Three comedy pilots from queer writers confirmed by the corporation today, alongside Kat Sadler’s such brave girls [sic] and Soph Galustian’s Peck’Eds.Source: British Comedy Guide