Rinkoo’s comedy days started when he was just a school boy. He used his football mates and work colleagues as an outlet for the humour that he interpreted from the world. People constantly told him he was funny and should be a stand-up comedian, but it wasn’t something Rinkoo ever thought could be a reality. As time went on, the familiarity of his football team faded away and Rinkoo lost his job, leaving a void to outlet his comedy need. Rinkoo Barpaga is born and bred in Birmingham and his adapted living in every English corner nearly all of his life. Rinkoo ‘s whose first language is BSL and his interpreter is voiceover for part of his act show on the stage.
Rinkoo’s first acts of comedy in Birmingham 2008 but things are wasn’t work out. A he thought he is wasn’t funny enough. He was distracted doing different path of career. 4 years later, 2012, Deaf Explorer project was seeking a Deaf talent to given a chance of performance on the stage. A friend of Rinkoo was encourage him to apply become stand up comedian. He was applied. Following months later, He received a letter that he got a funding grant for sponsoring him to go to comedy course in America for developed his career.
Rinkoo was struggles to keep his job but things are wasn’t good enough for him to keep him job. Settle due end of contract, lack of work for Deaf employer. However, Rinkoo thought Stand Up Comedian. Rinkoo is facing on every barrier in the comedy circle such as hearing, disability, Deaf comedy network. Rinkoo was being comedy career in New York City because he couldn’t get involve in the British comedy network because of his deafness issue.
After years that he is find it really struggle to get a job and starting to think about become stand up comedian.
Rinkoo have to faced criticism from the audiences because language, punchline and so on.
Some of Deaf American comedian encourage not to reveals of our Deaf world. Its like Black comedians like to take the piss of his black people, cultural. But Deaf people do not want taking the piss to Deaf people.
The first time Rinkoo performed was for a 5 minute set in America. His show grew to 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, in Soho, London, and eventually he was funded by the Arts Council England to extend the show to 1 hour and 15 minutes, “Am I Funny?” at the theatre network. Rinkoo’s first stand-up comedy tour sold out in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and London, amongst other places.
In 2017, Rinkoo was invited to perform in Tokyo and Osaka in Japan. RInkoo was surprised to be asked if he could make the audience cry. He replied, “You’ve asked the wrong person, surely I’m here to make them laugh?”, but the man offered him money then and there to make the audience cry! The more sombre show turned out to be a success. Back in the UK, Rinkoo decided to adapt his stand-up comedy into a one-man show, combining laughter with more serious topics. The show was called ‘Made in (India) Britain’, directed by Daniel Bailey.