Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi returns to the Fringe with a show based around her family’s experiences in Britain after they were exiled from Iran. She manages to keep the show pretty light hearted, despite the stories of Fatwa’s and death threats against her father.
Khorsandi talks a lot about Iran and the history of the region and seeks to educate the audience of some of the misconceptions that people have of her country’s culture and beliefs. She holds a humorous appeal for everyone in the audience, and doesn’t always rely on her quirky experiences as a minority in Britain as punch lines to every joke, as a lot of comics from different cultures tend to.
She is one of those incessantly upbeat people and is difficult to dislike her. She has a terrific presence as a stand up comic and builds a great relationship with the audience early on in the performance which carries through the whole show.
Khorsandi blends humour and tragedy to perfection, and when you leave you have learned something new, while laughing all the way.
4/5
Becky Stone
