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A Muslim comic at the Fringe: Edinburgh
Edinburgh was a revelation with its wide roads and large, classical public buildings. The castle dominates the city from its hilltop perch and is surrounded by the surviving parts of the old city. Unfortunately, much of the construction material is a local dark grey stone that has turned near black with grime over the years. Unlike London and Paris, the facades have not been cleaned, lending the city a sombre appearance belied by the hectic activity during the Festival.
This annual celebration of the performing arts began in 1946 and now attracts thousands of people from across Europe and America. Held in August, the event comprises five separate festivals focusing on theatre, film, dance, books and comedy. But dominating the formal Festival is the Fringe, which this year had over 1,500 events at more than 400 venues that had been improvised at restaurants, churches and cellars.
While I saw about a dozen different performances, my favourite was a play called Pickle. Written and produced by a group of Indians who have settled in New Zealand, it explored the issues of immigration and alienation as well as love and death with humour and sensitivity. Cleverly staged and brilliantly acted, the play won a prize as one of the best Fringe entries.
Another ‘desi’ performance was by Shazia Mirza, a stand-up comic of Pakistani origin who poked fun at the paranoia about Muslims in the West. While herself a devout Muslim, she joked about the way her family and their circle tried to pretend they were still living in Pakistan. Mirza has attracted a lot of publicity as the notion of a Muslim woman stand-up comic seems odd, specially as she comes on stage wearing a head-scarf
Another desi performance was by Shazia Mirza, a stand-up comic of Pakistani origin who poked fun at the paranoia about Muslims in the West. While herself a devout Muslim, she joked about the way her family and their circle tried to pretend they were still living in Pakistan, ignoring the social realities of contemporary Britain. Mirza has attracted a lot of publicity as the notion of a Muslim woman stand-up comic seems odd, specially as she comes on stage wearing a head-scarf. She startles her audience by introducing herself as Shazia Mirza “Or that’s the name on my pilot’s license…” It takes a couple of seconds for the joke to sink in, but with its reference to the suicide bombers of September 11, it draws a big laugh when it does. According to her, it didn’t do very well in America.
Her act is very different from Shappi Koharasani’s. A young woman of Iranian origin, she is far more comfortable in the West and her humour is less edgy than Shazia Mirza’s. Talking about her mother’s attempts to see her married, she denied that she had an active sex life, saying that she had only had five boyfriends. “But what a night that was!”
One offbeat stand-up comedy was Mongrel Nation, an act that featured S. Chaudhry, a Scotsman of Pakistani parentage. His wit was lent an extra bite as he speaks with a Scottish accent, and to hear him talk about the Scots’ aversion to the English was hilarious. He spoke about racism and how shocked he was when his father was in hospital and was told by the doctor that he needed an operation urgently. The patient turned to his son and whispered fiercely: “Son, keep that bloody Indian doctor away from me! I’ll even let a white doctor operate on me!” The younger Chaudhry replied: “But dad, where will I find a white doctor in Britain?”
An outstanding performance was the enactment of Moby Dick by a single actor who played the role of both Captain Ahab and the Great White Whale with the aid of some clever, but simple props. The epic struggle was brought to life as the chase proceeded across the imaginary ocean. The climax was shattering in its power and violence.
Another solo performance was the narration of George Orwell’s life and work in the form of a soliloquy. Speaking in his last few days at a clinic where he was being treated for TB, the writer talked of his early days, his political commitment (he fought against the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War) and his writing. Contrary to popular belief, his book Animal Farm was not an attack on Communism, but on Stalinism.
Revolution was a fast and furious medley of tap dancing, flamenco and rock’n’roll from America that was accompanied by a talented group of musicians. Performed in a large cellar, the loud and energetic dancing would have woken up the ghosts Edinburgh is famous for. Susannah York, a famous film actress, played parts from a number of Shakespeare’s well-known female leads, ranging from Juliet to Lady Macbeth. Her acting skills were breathtaking and her energy phenomenal as she continued for nearly two hours.
Under Milkwood is one of Dylan Thomas’s better-known long poems in which he writes about life in a small community over a period of 24 hours, with different villagers living their routine lives. Reciting the poem and playing all the parts was Gary Masterson, a veteran actor who, by the end of his masterful performance, was clearly emotionally and physically exhausted.
Seeing the range and high quality of the performances, often in improvised spaces with limited sets, one was struck by how much could be achieved with so little. The originality and freshness of the material and its creative adaptation to the stage was a revelation. One only wishes Pakistanis involved with theatre could come to Edinburgh and see the possibilities of their chosen field.
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