OMID DJALILI
Energetic but empty show of tired stereotypes CO
Omid Djalili is an Iranian man. You might not know, but there’s an Iranian custom called tarof. Apparently, it’s to prove that you’re humble. When offered something, you must refuse. And then you must refuse again. And then again. Etcetera. Because it shows that you don’t want for anything, that you’re dignified, that you can look after yourself. Quite possibly, the person who’s offering might not actually want to give away what they’re pushing upon you, and you’ll look very rude if you accept.
Except that Omid Djalili isn't an Iranian man. He’s from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Most of it’s quite posh, but down towards the Fulham end it gets a bit geezery and wide—boyish, and the big man in the satin shirt can turn it on and off. He’s a Chelsea fan, and the Cockney antics after a match soon slide into received pronunciation and a gracious smile if the police take an interest. Of course, his heritage is Iranian; his bloodline and family culture. He grew up perched between the Ayatollah Khomeini and Dickie Davies.
Yet seeing the world from two angles hasn’t given Djalili any sort of world view. True, he is a master of many accents: Scots, Irish, German, west Yorkshire, Geordie,
PADDINGTONS CRACK Delightfully dark doings .000
I rot". a .er‘y.
order to extract therr sorry tales. si'hine set of proos
owes a l‘est of deliciously ‘~.'.'arpe(l
French. Unfortunately, being able to speak like someone else doesn’t give you the gift of being able to think like that person, and he proves it throughout the show by referring to Germans as having no sense of humour, of folks from the Middle East being unable to handle sexualised Western culture, of Turks being kebab shop owners. He even tells a joke about tight-fisted Jews, for pity’s sake.
So what do I tell the witty friend from Potsdam, or the Omani chum who’s a total charmer, or the Jewish guy who invested in a business for almost three years and then walked away having made a minuscule profit? They exist. Djalili also homes in on other threadbare sentiments: women can multi-task, mothers don’t find comedians funny, kids are lippy nowadays. So that’s every single woman, every single mother, and kids were never lippy in the past. Right. And if you want to stop yourself from getting a hand up the bum at airport customs, just put on a ‘gay’ voice.
Omid Djalili is an energetic performer with a strong personality. He can dance too, and the fact that he’s got a bit of a gut doesn’t make a damn bit of difference. I just wish it wasn’t so necessary to refuse him. (Robin Lee)
I Pleasa'xre Co..".‘.z.='::. 77:36 (£550.
y.‘ o‘/)ryrv‘ . . '\ t__‘ ‘ '\ \ _‘ ‘
(fiflflou' (>.
my owe. the Eve slirh. attract ye oer‘ormers manage to hi‘atu". the
{XXI es a'xi personal-fies 0’ av ooese
A i 'r ' "J :2 , ‘ ’j'a « characters. .'.h:(:'i erhlxxly a dreadful ‘f—year-e'ti hey. a sex era/ea (hm/1"N.t"‘e<;"as:,eé:r",i'h decay at the heart of the y'llage O"e {II'lfoOCf'UL a 5; mole Dey'ov‘sl‘we :ass 2mm: " "esk' we I": 'r' ar‘oai'ar‘fixated t'itl‘eioeal
a r "I ".-‘ ' " 'r' 'w butcher‘s assnsfai‘t. Laeh char; ::'.er :s "i I” ' «w: . u (neg: is n: ezl replete 1“. tier ()‘.'.’l‘ oar'ttmlai
" K t ' " r:' ' I l’ ' ;' ‘(;'I;‘es: se ‘.'.l‘l|(} IJrayirig Latly P";ir‘e|la E. ax w» t x ' "“.(: " : . Beogjart .Jo'ies l)"£t"(flf§lt(}f§ a leather " W .wr ‘ " r l ’ r' ‘s' :; "I(le"{l (:rorr. teei‘agjer firstaee
'r ‘. ' Us: 1 i.;~ '\ l‘JELl'WlXXtOTII sam‘ts hto h-s glasses
«If
anrl has a mouth 'l>tir‘.(:he<l like a felines anus'.
But although the story l‘as been carefully thought out. ti‘ere s a slight hey tal>'|sty to the ending. as eaol‘ eyeitt lxnlrts tll)()l‘ the eve oe‘ore to
"exeai tl‘e
.’t()l(}£tl‘(i8()"(1I(li";.lf‘. Rachae‘ Street I U'iderm} (2870 71:3 308.6". .‘x‘.’ 28
Asa. (1.300% f / —:f1v:(>—.‘ , .
ALEX HORNE
Latin lessons laced with laughter O...
\‘Jhei‘. using; the fraught oroi: o‘
teehhe'ogy ll‘ a comedy setting. 't's a '.'.'ay s use to haye a safety net. Se. ‘.'.'."er‘ sowetlmg; does go "orig th
Alex H<>""e's atest mildly ".‘~.'O-";’.l‘y e set. ins "Limoe. e<lt.::ate:i. r’ siightly net'ng SlthKCK Tm» Key presses a button aha the y'.'or<l 'GLITCH'
apoears '1 nice m; letterqu o". the ::(.'t?(}'.f) he' Ml. but fast-pared s
it .s h.:..r that ,oe ta'i : oe tail, certa'.
‘.'."'ietl‘er tl‘e er'o" is QO'XHIIO or not.
As yae tr; {:rse vi. some nods :lresseo ‘IKO extras "'er“ a vhargi'elly .ipoated yerslo" e‘ We 19.71%; One" U," Lers ti. ol‘yses essons have as exam sheets to it' out. But it's .v‘et s<:ye"<‘e. it‘s Latte. t"e forgotten, eearoeao a";;..ag;e '.'.":-::l‘. Alex Home !8 hel 'oer‘t e"
:7" mm; DEICK into yogue. he has oey setl 8()l“0§}21l“(?8‘11" his and eree 2e "er: (irati {trite t"e 2‘s: (:e'tttm. am " add 2 on tho o..t .2hether heog ;; :erl at .f is a troy o" g; " to no, Had he eer‘orr“e<l t“:s see. you s.isoe<:t tl‘a'. the sum ieaoe" .‘.o..v:i P‘aye oee'i e'y ‘t.""y. \‘L t" t"e haw essy ar‘a, Key a:
t‘ s see. 1“ s out to he rafl'te" oreat a":i ‘.'.ifl‘ the :: ear- potental tor oefti":; eye" better as the "10"!" r'oeeeos. Let the F""igie g ye you the l-l:v"‘e. Brar‘ Doi‘axisonn
I Peasa' tee C<>..'.ya'o. .).>(> (mom (Fix—«J; "c. ,(u. 60'“ r —‘ a
.o .,r; ..t m qr,
THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 29