FESTIVAL COMEDY | Political offspring
DADDY
Kids naturally get embarrassed about their parents. But how would you feel if your dad happened to be a high-fl ying politician? Jay Richardson talks to some Fringe acts whose fathers have wandered the corridors of power
F inishing third in Britain’s Got Talent transformed Daliso Chaponda from a journeyman circuit comic to a touring act overnight. But that wasn’t his craziest 2017 experience. ‘That was the death threats in Malawi,’ he recalls. Even while preparing for BGT, his father, George T Chaponda, tipped to become Malawi’s president, was sacked as agriculture minister of the impoverished nation amid a corruption scandal relating to maize imports from Zambia.
His exoneration i nally came in June, while his son is now ‘writing like a maniac, because it was totally surreal and I can i nally talk about it. There was an explosion at my dad’s ofi ce. We had a year of abuse but at least I got some good jokes out of it. African politics makes British politics look positively boring.’ Russian politics, meanwhile, make waves everywhere. Olga Koch’s Fringe debut, Fight, has all the elements of a Cold War thriller. It hinges on a trip her father, Alfred (Russia’s former deputy prime minister and an outspoken critic of President Putin) tried to take to Moscow in 2014. His daughter, who began comedy in New York, introduces the FSB (Russia’s latter-day KGB) and explains exactly why her family went into exile. There’s a yarn at the heart of Benet Brandreth’s A Hero for Our Times too, a loosely autobiographical account of i nding love in middle-age. As the son of former Tory whip and fellow Fringe performer Gyles, Benet attended St Paul’s public school and Cambridge University, and soldiered in the Black
t posh-boy living cliché,’ he volunteers. ‘My Watch: ‘a posh-boy living cliché,’ he volunteers. ‘My has been spent in places with quadrangles entire life has been spent in places with quadrangles four.’ and tea at four.’ ng his seat in parliament, Benet believes On losing his seat in parliament, Benet believes r found refuge in performing. Gyles was his father found refuge in performing. Gyles was about his son, a barrister and rhetoric coach cautious about his son, a barrister and rhetoric coach oyal Shakespeare Company, following him for the Royal Shakespeare Company, following him but set ‘a great example of never being afraid on stage but set ‘a great example of never being afraid Indeed, his support extended to recently to fail’. Indeed, his support extended to recently enet and his actor wife, Kosha Engler, in casting Benet and his actor wife, Kosha Engler, in mental Hamlet with Benet as the prince and an experimental Hamlet with Benet as the prince and d Gyles playing all the other parts. Kosha and Gyles playing all the other parts. dn’t have been human if having my father ‘I wouldn’t have been human if having my father do a romantic scene together didn’t make and wife do a romantic scene together didn’t make slightly queasy,’ the younger Brandreth me feel slightly queasy,’ the younger Brandreth till, seeing the former honourable member admits. Still, seeing the former honourable member er in such a situation, ‘probably gave the for Chester in such a situation, ‘probably gave the a head start on appreciating what we were audience a head start on appreciating what we were bring out, as they must have been aware of trying to bring out, as they must have been aware of ardness.’ the awkwardness.’ Chaponda had similar misgivings about George Chaponda had similar misgivings about emic son becoming a comedian. Those his academic son becoming a comedian. Those ments only intensii ed when Daliso risked disagreements only intensii ed when Daliso risked Malawi’s censorship board. ‘I had to tell upsetting Malawi’s censorship board. ‘I had to tell couldn’t stop ripping apart the government him that I couldn’t stop ripping apart the government use he was in it. Gradually, he accepted just because he was in it. Gradually, he accepted s.’ And when the English tabloids who I was.’ And when the English tabloids revealed that George had once gleefully revealed that George had once a public ban on farting, proposed a public ban on farting, was thrilled ‘as it meant his son was thrilled ‘as it meant ring back the jokes I’d I could bring back the jokes I’d ree years before’. written three years before’.
54 THE LIST FESTIVAL 1–8 Aug 2018