In the past, the arrival of a Hollywood star on the Fringe has been met with a huge fanfare but with Omid Djalli it is clear that he is here because he wants to be here, not because he’s trying to relaunch his career. Okay, he has a truly mammoth poster in the centre of town but he’s not really playing off the fame and is simply doing what he’s been doing for the last ten years – good solid stand up.
That said, this is a little bit of a problem, as this is the first year that he’s actually been coasting. No Agenda contains a lot of recycled material, some of which is at least four years old, and the only real shock is that such a well-known comedian can actually be so un-PC. Admittedly a lot of this embraces the mindset that has evolved since the recent terrorist acts in London, so should be applauded for engaging subjects that a lot of comedians would consider too close to the bone less than a month on.
It is fair to say that Djalli isn’t going to find himself up for any awards this year (his recent silver screen fame probably exempts him anyway) but the world’s favourite Iranian comedy is doing a fantastic job at entertaining the masses. So, if you just fancy a guaranteed chortle, pay your money to take your seat in the Pleasance’s biggest space, but if you like your comedy a little more cutting you’d be advised to look elsewhere.
Richard Biggs
