Speaker’s corner
Born into a family which fled from Ayatollah Khomeini, life hasn’t always been sweet
for Shappi Khorsandi. Julian Hall meets a comic who is turning her fear into fun.
o mattcr Iio\\ much critical acclaim
.\ngIo7Iranian comcdian Shappi
Khorxandi rccci\cx l'or hcr Izdinhurgh xho\\ thix Mair. thc 33-‘_\car old ix almoxt ccrlain to ha\c a hcltcr chti\aI than thc Iaxl Iimc xhc \\ax Iicrc. 'I don‘t talk ahout m_\ lelH xhou.‘ xhc xa}x Il;tII~inIltf_‘I'\. 'I \\ax in a \cr} had xpacc and xliouldn't ha\c hccn thcrc.‘ 'I‘hc rcaxonx l'or hcr trauma incIudcd a managcr \\ho \xax prciudiccd agaian tlicmcd xItU\\ x: 'thcmcd xhoux‘.’I' undcrlincx Khorxandi. xharing m_\ dixhclicl that thc l'ormat uhich 0t)“; ol comicx in Iidinhurgh adopt could hc uxcd. in turn. agaian thcm. 'I‘hcn thcrc \xax an cngagcmcnt that xhould nc\cr haw Iiappcncd and ‘accidcntalh' hu_\ing a Hat \\ith thc xamc '|o\cI_\ ho} that I \xaxn’t going to marry‘ 'I‘o cap it all Khorxandi \\;lx xtruggling \\ith hulimia and a hout oI alopccia arcata: 'it xoundx Iikc a paxta xaucc hut it ix actuaII} partial hair onx.’
'I‘hrcc _\carx on thingx arc \cr} dil‘l‘crcnt ax Khorxandi gctx xct to unlcaxh a ncu xho\\. .Ixy/um Spur/«‘1' on tix. Not onI_\ hax xhc changcd hcr managcmcnt and l‘aIIcn in Io\ c \\ ith lcllou comic ('hrixtian Rcill}. xhc Itax thc hulimia in chcck: ‘\\'hcn _\ou arc addicch to amthing it takcx tip all yaw timc and thcn all ol' a xuddcn I had thix xparc timc on m_\ handx and xtartcd to \\ ritc Iikc a maniac.‘
'I‘hat thc crcatixc juiccx arc l'Io\\ing haxn‘t gonc unnoticcd h} othcrx in thc comcd} \xorld. ()mid I)iali|i. a tclloxx .'\ng|o-Iranian. hax hccn xupporti\ c all along hut ix thrillcd h} tIic upturn in hcr pcrl‘ormancc: ‘I did a rcccntl) that lic \\ ax at and hc hadn‘t xccn mc tor a uhilc. IIc tc\tcd mc al‘tcr to xa_\ that hc \\ax proud ol‘ rm and that mcant thc “mid to inc." Khorxandi'x Iranian hcritagc hax l‘igurcd hcaxil} in hcr act o\cr thc _\carx. and although xhc ix no\\ cquaII} at homc talking about lhc I’uxx} cat I)oIIx in hcr cluh xctx. xhc rcturnx to hcr rootx in thc Iongcr ino\\ x.
(iiwn hcr lamil} hixtor} IIIIx ixn't xurprixing. \\'hcn xhc \xax I I. Kliorxandi and hcr l'amiI} had to mm c out ol hcr I.ondon homc tor a timc hccatixc ol‘ an axxaxxination plot againxt hcr lathcr. an Iranian author and xatirixt \\ ho \\ax gi\cn ax} Ium in thc I'Ix' al‘tcr thc :\_\atoIIah Khomcini Iii-iackcd thc IV“) Iranian rc\qution. 'I‘hough thc tami|§ \\ct‘c alloxxcd hack to thcir homc h} Scotland Yard. “ho had uncowrcd thc plot \xhich xa\\ l\\o axxaxxinx go to thc \\ rong addrcxx. thc uphca\a| had ohx ioux cl‘lcctx‘. 'I.it‘c \\ ax nmcr \cr} normal. I felt Iikc thc :\.\atollah \\ ax pcrxonall} in our l'ront room. I{\cr_\ \\;ikiiig moment I thought in} dad \\ouId hc killcd. I \xantcd him to xtop uriting and gct
16 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE
Even when
Shappi
Khorsandi's
family moved
to London,
there was a
plot to '75 assassinate z", her father
a normal joh. I \\ ax too _\oung to undcrxtand ahout lighting l'or _\our i‘iintx.'
'I‘hc L‘IIL‘L'IN HI. lhIx LIl'altittllc‘ L‘pixtHIL‘. alitcr
\xhich dcath thrcatx continucd to hc xcnt. xccm to c\pIain Khorxandi‘x hulimia. In hcr act xhc ackntmlcdgcx thc ;\_\atollah ax ha\ing ‘put thc lat in l‘atxxa.‘ But it docxn’t cnd thcrc. "Io thix da) I'm a cotnplctc \\tlxx‘. I hatc raixcd \oiccx. and ill phonc m} parcntx and thc} don‘t pick up IIIL‘ PIIUIIL‘. I'tll IIkL‘I} IU c‘ttII thc piiIIcc. \VIIL‘II I comc hack l‘rom a hctorc I go to hcd I ha\c to hcar m} mum. dad and hrothcrk \oiccx. I‘m gctting marricd in Scptcmhcr and m_\ hinti'icnd
‘I FELT LIKE THE AYATOLLAH WAS IN OUR FRONT ROOM'
ix anothcr pcrxon I Inc in daiI} t‘car ot d} ing.‘
II' it xoundx Iikc Shappi Kliorxandi ix a pcrxon xtiIl tcctcring on thc hrink. audicnccx can hc axxtll'cd that xhc'x no xhrinking \ioIct and gIcanx all thc comcd} l'rom a “calm ol' lilc upcricncc. l'xing thc c\amplc ol' Iicr tathcr. \\ ho no“ pcrt'ormx xtand-up himxclt'. Khorxandi xa_\x that inc' can't rcxcnt \\ hat happcncd to hcr l'amiI}: 'I don't think _\ou can makc it t‘unn} it‘ )ou haw ncgatn it} and hatc.’
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 6—28 Aug (not 15), 7pm, £8—£9.50 (26.50428). Previews until 5 Aug, £5.
If you think Paul Daniels is the funniest thing in Magic-Comedy. you‘re wrong.
Chris Cox w
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i-:: .' evin McMahon " "I '
Malcolm Marvelle rz' : Kockov 'i .i: r:°'.":' ' " .'.' ,'.'1'J , it” .r'l/ ’,I.’;.‘./,/:' ‘33 Ian Kendall and Friends m '1 Magic Steve’s Disappearing Act w- Elixir," '
f." .1, 'i 1].. ,ol'. ,"""".'lf/;:II;IiI"I I‘O‘;:"’ ‘Jerry Sadowitz z» " '2 mqu ' ’. ," J: ID: I,' ~" 1, .° " {Writ Hypnotic Hilarity