A Q&A with Ria Lina

Fresh from the success of her hit debut tour Riawakening – named one of the Top Ten Best Stand-up Shows of 2024 by The Telegraph – Ria Lina is back with a brand-new show, Riabellion.

Running from September 2025 to February 2026, the UK tour promises another fearless and fiercely funny set from the leading Filipina voice in British comedy. Described by The Scotsman as “fearless, provocative, and very funny”, Ria is now rebelling against expectations, norms, and the status quo. Before she hits the road, we asked for her Famous Last Words…

Last thing you did that made you feel good?
I finally tackled that Cupboard of Doom – the one you chuck everything into whenever your mum comes over, and then never actually retrieve it again. Turns out I own 17 phone chargers for devices that no longer exist, but at least I know where they all are now. Also, it’s not the way to Narnia.

Last night on Earth… What’s your poison?
If this is definitely my last night on Earth, as a squeaky-clean drug-free tee-totaller I might try it all… I mean what’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like there’s a morning after to worry about.

Last supper… What are you ordering?
OOH like a triple burger and chips washed down with soda that I would normally balk at because y’know, gotta be healthy etc. And I’d eat them in a bathtub full of pick’n’mix jelly beans, love hearts and gummy bears just to see what it feels like…

Last person you’d want to share a drink with?
Anyone who says “I’m the kinda person who…” because it is the most ironic indicator that the person has absolutely NO self-awareness. And Nigel Farage. I’m not meeting him on home turf, he can meet me at the library – see how he does there. In a library, he’s not allowed to talk above a whisper, and I’d have the legal right to shush him no matter what he says.

Last time you shed a tear and why?
The last time I stubbed my toe on furniture that’s been in the same place for years. It’s the betrayal. The audacity. The fact that I knew it was there, yet it still got me. Maybe my foot got bigger and it’s my foot’s fault. Anyhow, all that I know is – it wasn’t my fault, and I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Last refuge… where would you go?
A yellow beach with blue water and a massage table. I’ve seen pictures, but I don’t believe they really exist. Hot is my happy place. No need for layers, I live in London, and I feel like I live my life in layers. Layer up to leave the house, take half of them off to not overheat on the Underground… fully off at work, back on to walk back to the station… over and over again. Dressing and undressing in London is stressful in itself! Just send me to a place where all I need is a mumu and a book.

Last the course… tips on loot, love & life?
Loot: Always carry emergency snacks. You don’t know when the next meal is, or if the train you’re on will be the victim of signal failure and you wanna be able to outlast the other passengers.
Love: You are your first and only true love. So treat yourself. Be good to yourself and if someone else wants to also treat you that way then great, but otherwise, you will always have yourself to fall back on. You will always be there for you.
Life: Never trust a man who claims to be an “alpha male”—real alphas don’t advertise. (This advice goes out to everyone. Men, don’t align yourself with self-proclaimed alphas either, you don’t need to be constantly undermined by their insecurity).

Last but one… random question: Tell us about something that interests you that nobody else knows about. Like Gaelic football… or porcelain.
I love playing poker. I love the maths, the psychology, the luck (bad beats!). It’s great. Quiz question for you: which King in a pack of modern cards is known as the suicide king because he’s stabbing himself in the head? (The answer is hidden in this interview)

Your Famous Last Words?
“Well… that escalated quickly.”

Ria Lina plays Selby Town Hall 18th Sep, Knaresborough Frazer Theatre 19th Sep, Pocklington Arts Centre 20th Sep & Leeds Wardrobe 19th Nov
For full tour dates visit rialina.com
images: Rachel Berkowitz