Sacha Dhawan to star as a standup in Nikesh Shukla's lockdown drama

Yash Gill’s Power Half Hour, directed by Milli Bhatia, is among a new batch of Virtual Collaborators films released this week

With comedy clubs closed by the coronavirus lockdown, many standups have been experimenting with streaming their performances online. Here’s another: Yash Gill, who emerges in tux and bow tie, ready to deliver an upbeat, gag-packed set from his flat. But this time the laughter quickly curdles. Gill, played by Doctor Who’s Sacha Dhawan, is among the characters in the latest series of Virtual Collaborators dramas, made by actors, writers and directors who have teamed up in isolation.

Dhawan says that Yash Gill’s Power Half Hour, which will premiere at 8pm on YouTube on Monday, has allowed him “to take myself out of my comfort zone”. Focusing on a creative project provided an opportunity to find balance and clarity at a difficult time. “Being in lockdown has brought such an array of different emotions to the surface,” says the actor. “It’s taken its toll on my mental health, because I’m forced to ‘sit’ in feelings, which I’ve got so used to avoiding.”

Watch all of the Virtual Collaborators films.

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